病痛 (bìng tòng) — pain and suffering caused by illness; ailment

Definition

noun
pain and suffering caused by illnessailment

Examples

  • 病痛
    Tā duō nián lái yì zhí rěn shòu zhe bìng tòng de zhé mó.
    He has been suffering from the torment of illness for many years.
  • 病痛
    bìng tòng Suī rán nán áo, dàn jiā rén de péi bàn ràng tā gǎn dào wēn nuǎn.
    Although the pain of illness is hard to bear, the company of his family kept him warm.
  • Zhè zhǒng yào néng yǒu xiào huǎn jiě gè zhǒng màn xìng bìng tòng.
    This medicine can effectively relieve various chronic pains from illness.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

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

bìngillness

病 points to illness and 痛 to pain, together meaning suffering from sickness.

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
sickness
Sound part声符shēngfú
bǐngbìng
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
illness
Sound part声符shēngfú
yǒngtòng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The 疒 part means illness, and 甬 gives the sound; together they form 痛, meaning pain or hurt.

Open 痛 →

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.