====== bìnglì: 病例 - Case (of illness), Medical Record, Case History ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** bingli, bìnglì, 病例, medical case in Chinese, case history Chinese, patient record Chinese, newly confirmed cases Chinese, what is bingli, bingli meaning
  * **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.