病例 (bìng lì) — medical case (of illness) | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

medical case (of illness)

Measure word · 个

Examples

病例，。
Zhè ge bìng lì fēi cháng hǎn jiàn, yī shēng men dōu hěn guān zhù.
This case is very rare, and the doctors are all paying close attention.
病例。
Yī shēng zhèng zài zǐ xì fēn xī nà ge bìng lì.
The doctor is carefully analyzing that case.
病例。
Zhè piān lùn wén tǎo lùn le wǔ gè lèi sì de bìng lì.
This paper discusses five similar cases.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

病bìngillness

病 specifies illness, and 例 is a case or instance, giving a medical case.

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.

疒丙病

Meaning part形符xíngfú

疒疒nèsickness

Sound part声符shēngfú

丙

丙bǐng病bìng

Same sound today

病 pairs 疒, a sickness mark, with 丙, which gives the sound; 丙 also means fire, giving a picture of lying feverishly in bed.

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

亻列例

Meaning part形符xíngfú

亻Written in full as人rén

Sound part声符shēngfú

列

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

例 is built from 亻, which relates to people, and 列, which gives the sound.

Appears in

Hospital & Clinic

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