神经病 (shén jīng bìng) — (medical) neurological disorder, mental disorde… | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'nerve disease', 神经病 is the medical term for a neurological or mental disorder, but in everyday speech it is used as a rude insult meaning 'crazy person' — avoid using it about real medical conditions in serious contexts.

noun

(medical) neurological disordermental disorder(colloquial, derogatory) crazy personlunatic

Measure word · 种

Examples

，神经病。
Tā zuì jìn xíng wéi yì cháng, yī shēng huái yí tā dé le shén jīng bìng.
He's been acting abnormally lately; the doctor suspects he has a neurological disorder.
，神经病。
Bié lǐ tā, tā jiù shì gè shén jīng bìng.
Don't mind him, he's just a lunatic.
神经病，！
Nǐ kě zhēn shì shén jīng bìng, gān zhè zhǒng shì!
You're really crazy, doing this kind of thing!

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.

神经nerve

神shénspirit经jīngmeridian

联合Coordinate

病bìngillness

神经 names nerves and 病 names illness, so a disease of the nerves.

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

示示shìgod; deity

Sound part声符shēngfú

申

申shēn神shén

Same sound today

The older form 申 drew lightning, which the ancients regarded as divine; 神 adds 示 (god/deity) to mark that meaning.

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 經; 经 is its simplified writing.

糹巠經

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mìsilk; thread

Sound part声符shēngfú

巠

巠jīng經jīng

Same sound today

The traditional form 經 combines 糹 (silk; thread) with 巠, which gives the sound.

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.

Appears in

Illness & Symptoms Mental Health 5000 Most Frequent Chinese Words

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