病假条 (bìng jià tiáo) — sick leave certificate; doctor's note for sick leave

Definition

A document from a doctor certifying illness, used to take time off work or school. Pairs with 开 (to issue) and the 把 construction when handing it to someone, e.g. 把病假条交给HR.

noun
sick leave certificatedoctor's note for sick leave
Measure word · 张

Examples

  • 病假条。
    Yī shēng gěi wǒ kāi le yì zhāng bìng jià tiáo.
    The doctor gave me a sick leave certificate.
  • 病假条。
    Qǐng bǎ bìng jià tiáo jiāo gěi rén shì bù.
    Please hand the sick leave certificate to HR.
  • 病假条。
    Méi yǒu bìng jià tiáo jiù bù néng qǐng jià.
    Without a sick leave certificate, you can't take leave.

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.

病假sick leave
病bìngillness假jiǎleave
偏正Modifier + head
条tiáoslip

病假 is leave caused by illness, and 条 is a slip or note.

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.

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.

Open 病 →

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
亻Written in full as人rénperson
Sound part声符shēngfú
叚
叚jiǎ假jiǎ
Same sound today

假 pairs 亻 (person) with 叚, which gives the sound jiǎ.

Open 假 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 條; 条 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
攸
攸yōu條tiáo
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 條 pairs 木, a small branch or stick, with 攸, which shows a person warned by a hand holding a stick, as a sound part; 条 is a later shortened shape.

Open 条 →

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