TongTong
Sign in

精神病院 (jīng shén bìng yuàn) — psychiatric hospital; mental institution

Definition

noun
psychiatric hospitalmental institution
Measure word · 所

Examples

  • 精神病院。
    Tā yīn wèi yì yù zhèng zhù jìn le jīng shén bìng yuàn.
    He was admitted to a psychiatric hospital for depression.
  • 精神病院。
    Zhè jiā jīng shén bìng yuàn de yī liáo tiáo jiàn hěn hǎo.
    The medical conditions at this mental institution are very good.
  • 精神病院。
    Tā zài yì jiā jīng shén bìng yuàn zuò xīn lǐ yī shēng.
    She works as a psychologist at a psychiatric hospital.

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.

精神mental
精jīngessence神shénspirit
联合Coordinate
病院hospital
病bìngillness院yuàninstitution
偏正Modifier + head

精神 (mind/spirit) and 病院 (illness institution) combine to mean a hospital for mental illness.

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
米米mǐrice
Sound part声符shēngfú
青
青qīng精jīng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

精 pairs 米 (rice) with 青, which gives the sound; the character originally meant polished rice.

Open 精 →

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.

Open 神 →

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
阝Written in full as阜fù
Sound part声符shēngfú
完
完wán院yuàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

院 is built from 阝, written in full as 阜, and 完, which gives the sound.

Open 院 →
Appears in
Hospital & ClinicMental Health

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