Translation and Meaning of: 病院 - byouin

The word 「病院」 (byouin) is composed of two kanji: 「病」 (byou), which means "disease," and 「院」 (in), which refers to "institution" or "building." The combination of these characters gives us the term "hospital," an institution dedicated to the treatment of diseases and medical care. The etymology of the kanji reveals the basic function of hospitals: a place to treat and care for the sick.

The origin of the kanji 「病」 dates back to the idea of illness or disease, and it is widely used in medical and health-related terms in the Japanese language. The ideogram is often associated with other health-related words, denoting its relevance in medical concepts. On the other hand, the kanji 「院」 is used to designate various types of institutions, such as schools (「学院」, gakuen) and prisons (「刑務院」, keimuin), indicating an organized space dedicated to a specific function.

The use of the term 「病院」 in historical records dates back to the Meiji period, when Japan began adopting Western concepts of medicine and hospitals, influenced by foreign medical practices. This led to the establishment of modern health institutions operating in a format that aligned with Western standards. The term 「病院」 quickly solidified as a reference to public and private healthcare structures in Japan, becoming essential in the daily vocabulary related to health.

In the contemporary Japanese context, 「病院」 encompasses a variety of medical services, ranging from outpatient consultations to intensive hospital treatment. Variations of the word include 「小児病院」 (shouni byouin), which refers to pediatric hospitals, and 「精神病院」 (seishin byouin), or psychiatric hospitals, each indicating the institution's specialization within the medical field.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 医院 (Iin) - Clinic or medical office.
• 医療施設 (Iryou shisetsu) - Health facility, encompassing different types of medical services.
• 療養所 (Ryouyoujo) - Institution for the treatment of diseases, generally focused on rehabilitation.
• 病棟 (Byoutou) - Ward or hospital unit, usually related to a larger hospital.
• 病室 (Byoushitsu) - Hospital room, individual or shared space for hospitalized patients.
• 診療所 (Shinryoujo) - Specialized medical office for outpatient care.
• クリニック (Kurinikku) - Clinic, usually smaller in size, that offers various health services.

病院

Romaji: byouin
Kana: びょういん
Type: Noun
L: jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: hospital

Meaning in English: hospital

Definition: A facility where medical care is provided by doctors and nurses.

Example Sentences - (病院) byouin

See below some example sentences:

彼女は病気の友人を見舞うために病院に行きました。

Kanojo wa byouki no yuujin wo mimau tame ni byouin ni ikimashita

She went to the hospital to visit a sick friend.

She went to the hospital to see her sick friend.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 病気 (byouki) - disease
• の (no) - Possessive particle
• 友人 (yuujin) - amigo/amiga
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 見舞う (mimau) - visit (someone who is ill)
• ために (tameni) - for
• 病院 (byouin) - hospital
• に (ni) - Location particle
• 行きました (ikimashita) - foi (past tense of ir)

私の父は公立病院の職員です。

Watashi no chichi wa kōritsu byōin no shokuin desu

My father is a team of public hospitals.

• 私 - personal pronoun that means "I"
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• 父 - noun that means "father"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 公立 - adjective that means "public"
• 病院 - The noun that means "hospital" is "hospital" in English.
• の - particle that indicates possession or belonging
• 職員 - noun that means "employee"
• です - verb that indicates to be or to stay, in the present tense and formal