病例

bìnglì: 病例 - Case (of illness), Medical Record, Case History

Quick Summary

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  • Summary: The Chinese word 病例 (bìnglì) refers to a specific “case of illness” or a patient's “medical record.” Composed of the characters for “illness” (病) and “example” or “case” (例), it is a fundamental term in healthcare and public health contexts in China. Whether you are at a hospital discussing your medical history with a doctor, or reading the news about newly confirmed cases of a virus, understanding 病例 (bìnglì) is essential for navigating medical situations and public health information in Mandarin.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): bìnglì
  • Part of Speech: Noun
  • HSK Level: HSK 5
  • Concise Definition: An instance of a disease; a patient's medical case or the written record of that case.
  • In a Nutshell: Think of 病例 (bìnglì) as the official story of an illness. It's both the abstract concept of a “case” (e.g., “a case of the flu”) and the physical or digital file that a doctor or hospital maintains for a patient. This file documents symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and progress. It is a formal, technical term used in medical and public health settings.

Character Breakdown

  • 病 (bìng): This character's radical is 疒, which is known as the “sickness” radical. It is a pictogram of a person lying down in bed, clearly indicating illness. Thus, 病 is the core character for “sickness,” “illness,” or “disease.”
  • 例 (lì): This character combines the “person” radical (亻) with 列 (liè), which means “to line up” or “to list.” Together, they create the idea of a standard, precedent, or an example that can be listed or referred to. Its core meaning is “example” or “case.”
  • How they combine: By putting “sickness” (病) and “case/example” (例) together, the word 病例 logically forms the meaning of a specific “case of illness.” It is one documented example of a particular sickness.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • The Importance of Documentation: In China's large, centralized healthcare system, meticulous record-keeping is paramount. The 病例 is the fundamental unit of a patient's interaction with this system. It ensures continuity of care as a patient might see different doctors or visit different hospitals. It is the official, authoritative account of one's health journey.
  • Collective vs. Individual: While in Western cultures a “medical record” or “patient chart” feels very personal and individual, the concept of 病例 in China also carries a strong collective significance. During public health crises (like SARS or COVID-19), individual 病例 are aggregated into massive datasets. Analyzing these cases—`病例分析 (bìnglì fēnxī)`—is crucial for identifying trends, understanding transmission, and formulating national policy. The term's component, `例` (example), hints at this dual role: it is one person's story, but it is also an example that contributes to the broader understanding of a disease. This contrasts slightly with the Western focus, which is often more centered on individual patient privacy and care, whereas in China, the role of the individual case as part of a public health whole is more culturally prominent.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • In the Hospital: This is the most common context. You will hear it used constantly by doctors, nurses, and administrative staff.
    • `电子病例 (diànzǐ bìnglì)` - Electronic medical record (EMR)
    • `看病例 (kàn bìnglì)` - To read a medical record
    • `写病例 (xiě bìnglì)` - To write up a case report
  • In Public Health News: During any epidemic or pandemic, 病例 is a keyword in news reports.
    • `新增病例 (xīnzēng bìnglì)` - Newly added cases
    • `确诊病例 (quèzhěn bìnglì)` - Confirmed cases
    • `本地病例 (běndì bìnglì)` - Local cases
    • `输入性病例 (shūrùxìng bìnglì)` - Imported cases
  • In Medical Education: Medical students learn by studying `典型病例 (diǎnxíng bìnglì)` - classic or typical cases - to understand how a disease presents and progresses.
  • Formality: 病例 is a formal and technical term. In casual conversation, you would not use it to describe feeling sick. You would say `我生病了 (wǒ shēngbìng le)` or `我不舒服 (wǒ bù shūfu)`.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 医生正在看我的病例。
    • Pinyin: Yīshēng zhèngzài kàn wǒ de bìnglì.
    • English: The doctor is looking at my medical records.
    • Analysis: Here, 病例 refers to the physical or digital document—the patient's chart or file.
  • Example 2:
    • 这是我们医院遇到的最奇怪的病例之一。
    • Pinyin: Zhè shì wǒmen yīyuàn yùdào de zuì qíguài de bìnglì zhīyī.
    • English: This is one of the strangest cases our hospital has ever encountered.
    • Analysis: In this sentence, 病例 refers to the abstract concept of a medical “case” or instance of illness.
  • Example 3:
    • 今天本市报告了三例新的确诊病例。
    • Pinyin: Jīntiān běn shì bàogào le sān lì xīn de quèzhěn bìnglì.
    • English: The city reported three new confirmed cases today.
    • Analysis: This is a very common phrase in news reporting, especially during public health events. Note the measure word `例 (lì)`.
  • Example 4:
    • 你的病例号是多少？
    • Pinyin: Nǐ de bìnglì hào shì duōshǎo?
    • English: What is your medical record number?
    • Analysis: `病例号` is the specific number assigned to a patient's case file for identification.
  • Example 5:
    • 医学院的学生需要研究很多经典病例。
    • Pinyin: Yīxuéyuàn de xuéshēng xūyào yánjiū hěnduō jīngdiǎn bìnglì.
    • English: Medical school students need to study many classic cases.
    • Analysis: This shows its use in an academic context, referring to textbook examples of diseases.
  • Example 6:
    • 这个病例的症状非常典型。
    • Pinyin: Zhège bìnglì de zhèngzhuàng fēicháng diǎnxíng.
    • English: The symptoms of this case are very typical.
    • Analysis: This focuses on the characteristics of a specific instance of a disease.
  • Example 7:
    • 我们需要对所有病例进行跟踪调查。
    • Pinyin: Wǒmen xūyào duì suǒyǒu bìnglì jìnxíng gēnzōng diàochá.
    • English: We need to conduct follow-up investigations on all cases.
    • Analysis: This highlights its use in epidemiology and public health research.
  • Example 8:
    • 他是一个无症状病例，所以很难被发现。
    • Pinyin: Tā shì yīgè wú zhèngzhuàng bìnglì, suǒyǐ hěn nán bèi fāxiàn.
    • English: He is an asymptomatic case, so it was difficult to discover.
    • Analysis: A common classification of a case, distinguishing it from those with clear symptoms.
  • Example 9:
    • 请把您的病例带上，方便医生了解情况。
    • Pinyin: Qǐng bǎ nín de bìnglì dài shàng, fāngbiàn yīshēng liǎojiě qíngkuàng.
    • English: Please bring your medical records so the doctor can understand your situation.
    • Analysis: Practical advice given at a hospital. Here 病例 clearly means the physical documents.
  • Example 10:
    • 每个病例背后都是一个家庭的故事。
    • Pinyin: Měi ge bìnglì bèihòu dōu shì yīgè jiātíng de gùshi.
    • English: Behind every medical case is a family's story.
    • Analysis: A more humanistic use of the word, acknowledging the personal impact behind the technical term.

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Using 病例 to say “I am sick.”
    • A common error for beginners is to confuse the state of being sick with the record of that sickness.
    • Incorrect: 我有一个病例。(Wǒ yǒu yīgè bìnglì.) This literally means “I have a medical case/record,” which sounds very strange, as if you're a doctor discussing a patient.
    • Correct: 我生病了。(Wǒ shēngbìng le.) - “I am sick.”
    • Correct: 我感冒了。(Wǒ gǎnmào le.) - “I have a cold.”
  • Nuance: 病例 (bìnglì) vs. 病历 (bìnglì)
    • This is a subtle but important distinction, especially in writing. They have the exact same pronunciation.
    • 病例 (bìnglì): `例` means “example” or “instance.” This term refers to the case of illness itself. It's the broader concept. (e.g., “a rare case,” “a confirmed case”).
    • 病历 (bìnglì): `历` means “history” or “record.” This term refers specifically to the written medical record, the document, the patient chart.
    • In Practice: In spoken conversation, they are often used interchangeably because the context usually makes the meaning clear. If you ask a nurse for your file, either term would likely be understood. However, in formal medical writing and news reports, the distinction is maintained. `病例` is used for statistics (“10 new cases”), while `病历` is used when referring to the documentation (“The doctor updated the medical record”).

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 病历 (bìnglì) - The written medical record or patient chart. Homophonous with 病例 but more specific to the document.
  • 诊断 (zhěnduàn) - Diagnosis. The medical conclusion about a 病例.
  • 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) - Symptoms. The individual signs of illness that constitute a 病例.
  • 病人 (bìngrén) - Patient. The person who is the subject of the 病例.
  • 病史 (bìngshǐ) - Medical history. A critical component of a patient's 病例.
  • 确诊 (quèzhěn) - To confirm a diagnosis. A case becomes a `确诊病例` (confirmed case) after this step.
  • 个案 (gè'àn) - An individual case. A more general term not limited to medicine, but can be used as a synonym in some contexts, like in `个案研究` (case study).
  • 医生 (yīshēng) - Doctor. The professional who diagnoses, treats, and documents the 病例.
  • 医院 (yīyuàn) - Hospital. The institution where 病例 are managed.
  • 流行病 (liúxíngbìng) - Epidemic. A situation involving a large number of 病例 in a population.