疾患 (jí huàn) — disease, illness (formal, often used in medical contexts)

Definition

Formal written term for 'disease / illness', almost always in medical or clinical writing. More formal than everyday 病 bìng, and broader than 病症 (which emphasizes a specific condition).

noun
diseaseillness (formal, often used in medical contexts)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 疾患。
    Zhè zhǒng jí huàn zài zǎo qī zhì liáo xiào guǒ zuì hǎo.
    This kind of disease responds best to treatment in the early stages.
  • 疾患。
    Yī shēng zhèng zài yán jiū zhè zhǒng jí huàn de fā bìng jī zhì.
    The doctor is researching the pathogenesis of this illness.
  • 疾患。
    Xǔ duō màn xìng jí huàn xū yào cháng qī tiáo lǐ.
    Many chronic illnesses require long-term management.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

疾jíillness
患huànailment

疾 and 患 both refer to illness or ailment, naming disease.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

疾 combines 疒, showing illness, with a form showing an arrow flying toward a person, giving the sense of fast.

Open 疾 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
心心xīnheart
Sound part声符shēngfú
串
串chuàn患huàn
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

患 is made from 心, a heart, plus 串, which gives the sound. Some old explanations also read the upper part as piercing through the heart.

Open 患 →

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