HSK Guide

生病 shēngbìng — to fall ill, to be sick

shēngbìng (first tone, high and level)sheng1bing4

to fall ill, to be sick

HSK 2· HSK 1–4 (classic)verb
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Meanings

  1. to fall ill, to be sick

    To become ill. It is a verb, not an adjective, so it takes 了 to report the change — 他生病了 — and never 是 or 很.

    verb

Character breakdown

  • 生
    shēng (first tone, high and level)

    to be born; to grow; to give birth to; life; raw, uncooked; unfamiliar, strange

    5 strokesRadical 生
  • 病
    bìng (fourth tone, falling)

    illness, disease; to fall ill; a fault, a defect

    10 strokes⿸疒丙Radical 疒

Example sentences

  • 他生病了，今天不来上班。他生病了，今天不來上班。Tā (first tone, high and level) shēngbìng (first tone, high and level) le, (neutral tone) jīntiān (first tone, high and level) bù (fourth tone, falling) lái (second tone, rising) shàngbān. (fourth tone, falling)···

    He’s ill and isn’t coming to work today.

  • 我妹妹生病了，在家休息。Wǒ (third tone, dipping) mèimei (fourth tone, falling) shēngbìng (first tone, high and level) le, (neutral tone) zài (fourth tone, falling) jiā (first tone, high and level) xiūxi. (first tone, high and level)···

    My little sister is ill and is resting at home.

Common mistakes

  • Not quite我是生病。

    Correct我生病了。

    生病 is a verb meaning "to fall ill", so it never follows 是. The 了 is what turns it into news: I have become ill.

Similar words

Words containing 生