Show pageOld revisionsBacklinksBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== kànbìng: 看病 - To see a doctor, To seek medical treatment ====== ===== Quick Summary ===== * **Keywords:** kanbing, 看病, see a doctor in Chinese, Chinese medical vocabulary, how to say I'm sick in Chinese, going to the hospital in China, kanbing meaning, Chinese doctor visit, HSK 2 vocabulary. * **Summary:** Learn how to say "to see a doctor" in Chinese with the essential term **看病 (kànbìng)**. This guide breaks down its meaning, cultural context, and practical use. Discover why the process of a Chinese doctor visit is different from the West and master the vocabulary you need for going to the hospital in China, making your experience smoother and more culturally aware. ===== Core Meaning ===== * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** kànbìng * **Part of Speech:** Verb-object phrase * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 * **Concise Definition:** To see a doctor; to consult a physician because of an illness. * **In a Nutshell:** **看病 (kànbìng)** is the most common and authentic way to say you're going to see a doctor. While it literally translates to "look at illness," it functions as a single action. It's important to remember that it's the **patient** who performs this action. You, the sick person, go to **看病**. ===== Character Breakdown ===== * **看 (kàn):** This character's primary meaning is "to look at," "to see," or "to watch." In this context, it carries the sense of "to examine" or "to consult." * **病 (bìng):** This character means "illness," "sickness," or "disease." The radical on the left, `疒` (the "sickness" radical), is found in many characters related to medical conditions. * **How they combine:** The two characters form a logical verb-object phrase: "to look at (one's) illness." This has evolved into the set phrase for the entire action of seeking medical consultation. ===== Cultural Context and Significance ===== The phrase **看病 (kànbìng)** encapsulates a cultural experience that is often quite different from a typical doctor's visit in the West. Understanding this can prevent confusion and frustration. **Western System (e.g., USA) vs. Chinese System:** * **Appointments:** In the U.S., you typically schedule an appointment with a specific primary care physician days or weeks in advance. In China, for most general issues, you go directly to a hospital (**医院 - yīyuàn**) on the day you feel sick. * **The Process:** The Chinese **看病** process usually involves several steps, often with queuing and paying at each stage: 1. **挂号 (guàhào):** Go to the registration desk to get a number for a specific department (e.g., internal medicine, dermatology). You pay a small fee for this. 2. **排队 (páiduì):** Wait in line outside the doctor's office. It's often crowded and less private than in the West. 3. **Consultation:** The doctor's consultation might be very brief and to the point. 4. **Payment & Tests:** You'll then go to a different window to pay for any prescribed tests or medication. 5. **Tests/Medication:** Finally, you'll go to yet another area for the blood test, X-ray, or to the pharmacy (**药房 - yàofáng**) to pick up your medicine. * **Focus on the Illness:** The term **看病** places the focus on the **illness (病)** itself, rather than on the doctor. The patient is the active party, going to have their "illness looked at." This is a subtle but important mindset difference from the English "seeing a doctor," which centers the action on the medical professional. ===== Practical Usage in Modern China ===== **看病** is a neutral, everyday term used by everyone. * **Expressing Intent:** It's the standard way to say you need to see a doctor. * `我有点不舒服，下午想去**看病**。` (Wǒ yǒudiǎn bù shūfu, xiàwǔ xiǎng qù kànbìng.) - I'm not feeling well, I want to go see a doctor this afternoon. * **Inquiring About Health:** You can use it to ask about someone else. * `你妈妈的病好点了吗？**看病**了吗？` (Nǐ māma de bìng hǎo diǎn le ma? Kànbìng le ma?) - Is your mom's sickness any better? Did she see a doctor? * **At the Hospital:** While you're in the hospital, you'll hear and use related terms, but **看病** is the umbrella term for the whole reason you are there. The nurse might ask: `你来看什么病？` (Nǐ lái kàn shénme bìng?) - "What illness are you here to see about?" ===== Example Sentences ===== * **Example 1:** * 我生病了，得去**看病**。 * Pinyin: Wǒ shēngbìng le, děi qù **kànbìng**. * English: I'm sick, I have to go see a doctor. * Analysis: A classic and straightforward sentence. `生病 (shēngbìng)` is the state of being sick, and `看病` is the action you take because of it. * **Example 2:** * 你最好去医院**看病**，别拖了。 * Pinyin: Nǐ zuìhǎo qù yīyuàn **kànbìng**, bié tuō le. * English: You'd better go to the hospital to see a doctor, don't put it off. * Analysis: This shows `看病` used as advice. `别拖了 (bié tuō le)` is a common phrase meaning "don't delay." * **Example 3:** * 他昨天**看病**花了五百块钱。 * Pinyin: Tā zuótiān **kànbìng** huāle wǔbǎi kuài qián. * English: He spent 500 yuan seeing the doctor yesterday. * Analysis: Here, `看病` functions as the action on which money was spent. `花 (huā)` means "to spend." * **Example 4:** * 在中国**看病**方便吗？ * Pinyin: Zài Zhōngguó **kànbìng** fāngbiàn ma? * English: Is it convenient to see a doctor in China? * Analysis: This is a great question for an expat to ask. `方便 (fāngbiàn)` means "convenient." * **Example 5:** * 医生给病人**看病**。 * Pinyin: Yīshēng gěi bìngrén **kànbìng**. * English: The doctor treats the patient. (Literally: The doctor gives the patient a "see-the-illness".) * Analysis: This is a crucial grammar point. The doctor doesn't `看病`; the patient does. For the doctor to be the subject, you must use the `给 (gěi)` structure. * **Example 6:** * 我只是小感冒，不用**看病**。 * Pinyin: Wǒ zhǐshì xiǎo gǎnmào, búyòng **kànbìng**. * English: I just have a small cold, no need to see a doctor. * Analysis: This shows the negative form, `不用 (búyòng)`, meaning "no need to." * **Example 7:** * **看完病**，我们去吃饭吧。 * Pinyin: **Kànwán bìng**, wǒmen qù chīfàn ba. * English: After we're done at the doctor's, let's go eat. * Analysis: `看完 (kànwán)` is a result complement, meaning "to finish seeing." This shows how `看病` can be split, which is characteristic of verb-object phrases. * **Example 8:** * 他常常请假去**看病**。 * Pinyin: Tā chángcháng qǐngjià qù **kànbìng**. * English: He often asks for leave from work to go see a doctor. * Analysis: `请假 (qǐngjià)` means "to request leave." This is a very practical sentence for the workplace. * **Example 9:** * 你**看病**的时候，医生怎么说？ * Pinyin: Nǐ **kànbìng** de shíhou, yīshēng zěnme shuō? * English: When you saw the doctor, what did he say? * Analysis: `...的时候 (...de shíhou)` means "when..." and is a common way to frame a question about a past event. * **Example 10:** * 现在网上也可以**看病**了，很方便。 * Pinyin: Xiànzài wǎngshàng yě kěyǐ **kànbìng** le, hěn fāngbiàn. * English: Now you can also see a doctor online, it's very convenient. * Analysis: This reflects modern China, where telemedicine or "online doctor visits" are becoming increasingly popular. ===== Nuances and Common Mistakes ===== * **Who is the subject?** The most common mistake for learners is getting the subject wrong. * **Correct:** 我去**看病**。 (Wǒ qù kànbìng.) - I (the patient) am going to see a doctor. * **Incorrect:** ~~医生看病。~~ (Yīshēng kànbìng.) * **Explanation:** This literally means "The doctor is going to see a doctor (because he is sick)." To say a doctor is treating a patient, you must say: `医生给病人看病 (Yīshēng gěi bìngrén kànbìng)`. * **`看病` vs. `看医生 (kàn yīshēng)`** * These two phrases are often interchangeable, but there's a subtle difference. * **看病 (kànbìng)** is the default, idiomatic phrase. It describes the entire event and purpose of seeking medical help for an illness. * **看医生 (kàn yīshēng)** literally means "to see a doctor." It's perfectly correct, but it places a bit more emphasis on the person you are seeing. You might use it if the doctor is the specific focus: `我今天要去**看**王**医生**。` (Wǒ jīntiān yào qù kàn Wáng yīshēng.) - "I need to go see Dr. Wang today." * **Rule of Thumb:** When in doubt, use **看病**. It will almost always be the more natural-sounding choice. ===== Related Terms and Concepts ===== * [[生病]] (shēngbìng) - To get sick. This is the reason you need to **看病**. * [[医生]] (yīshēng) - Doctor. The person who treats you when you **看病**. * [[医院]] (yīyuàn) - Hospital. The primary place you go to **看病**. * [[病人]] (bìngrén) - Patient. The person who needs to **看病**. * [[挂号]] (guàhào) - To register (at a hospital). This is the first step of the **看病** process in China. * [[排队]] (páiduì) - To queue/line up. You will do a lot of this when you **看病**. * [[吃药]] (chīyào) - To take medicine. A common result of **看病**. * [[打针]] (dǎzhēn) - To get an injection. Another possible result of **看病**. * [[不舒服]] (bù shūfu) - Not feeling well/uncomfortable. A common way to describe why you need to **看病**. * [[检查]] (jiǎnchá) - To have a check-up/examination. A part of the **看病** process.