病况 (bìng kuàng) — state of illness, condition of a patient | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

state of illnesscondition of a patient

Examples

病况。
Yī shēng zhèng zài mì qiè guān chá bìng rén de bìng kuàng biàn huà.
The doctor is closely monitoring changes in the patient's condition.
病况。
Tā de bìng kuàng bǐ shàng zhōu hǎo duō le.
His condition is much better than last week.
病况。
Jiā shǔ hěn dān xīn lǎo rén de bìng kuàng.
The family is very worried about the elderly person's condition.

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

况kuàngcondition

病 means illness and 况 means condition, together naming the state of being ill.

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 況; 况 is its simplified writing.

氵兄況

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐriver

Sound part声符shēngfú

兄

兄xiōng況kuàng

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

The traditional form 況 pairs 氵 (river) with 兄 as the sound part; the simplified 况 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the original pieces.

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