Translation and Meaning of: 病 - yamai

Etymology and Composition of the Kanji

The Japanese word 「病」 (yamai) refers to "illness" or "disease". The kanji 「病」 is composed of two main radicals: 「疒」 (nekozukuri), which represents illness or clinical condition, and 「丙」 (hei), which does not have a significant independent meaning but contributes to the form of the kanji itself. The combination of these elements creates a character that symbolizes health problems or debilitating conditions.

Definition and Use of the Word

In the Japanese language, 「病」 (yamai) is often used to describe altered health states, from common colds to more serious conditions. This word encompasses both physical and mental illnesses, reflecting its breadth in different medical and social contexts. Additionally, 「病気」 (byouki) is a variation of the word that is more commonly used in daily life to refer to illnesses in general.

Cultural Origin and Meaning

Historically, the notion of 「病」 (yamai) has deep roots in Eastern culture and medicine, where diseases were seen not only as physical conditions but also as spiritual ones. In traditional medicine, there was a significant focus on treating the balance of body and spirit, not just the physiological symptoms. This holistic understanding endures in many current Japanese health practices, where alternative treatments and preventive practices are valued alongside modern medicine.

Modern Context and Applications

In modern times, the word 「病」 (yamai) continues to play a crucial role in healthcare in Japan. Its use is not limited to the medical field; it also appears in literature and the arts, where illnesses can be used metaphorically to discuss social and psychological phenomena. This broad scope reflects the deep interconnection of the physical, mental, and social dimensions of health in contemporary Japanese culture.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 疾患 (Shikkan) - Disease, generally referring to a set of medical conditions.
• 疾病 (Shippai) - Illness, with a more severe connotation than simply "disease".
• 病気 (Byouki) - Disease, a generic term for a pathological condition.
• 病態 (Byoutai) - Disease status, referring to the clinical condition of the disease.
• 病状 (Byoujou) - Symptoms of the disease, used to describe the clinical presentation.
• 病症 (Byoushou) - Disease condition, focusing on associated symptoms and signs.

病

Romaji: yamai
Kana: やまい
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n1

Translation / Meaning: disease

Meaning in English: illness;disease

Definition: State in which an abnormality in the body's health occurred.

Example Sentences - (病) yamai

See below some example sentences:

彼女は心が病んでいる。

Kanojo wa kokoro ga yande iru

She is suffering from a mental illness.

She's sick.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 心 (kokoro) - heart, mind, emotions
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 病んでいる (yandeiru) - is sick, is suffering

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)

彼女は辛い病気に堪えている。

Kanojo wa tsurai byouki ni koraete iru

She is supporting a painful disease.

She has a painful disease.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 辛い (tsurai) - Painful, difficult
• 病気 (byouki) - disease
• に (ni) - particle indicating target or destination
• 堪えている (koraeteiru) - enduring, enduring

末期がんは治療が難しい病気です。

Matsuki gan wa chiryou ga muzukashii byouki desu

Advanced stage cancer is a difficult disease to treat.

The last term cancer is a difficult disease to treat.

• 末期がん - advanced cancer
• 治療 - Treatment
• 難しい - difficult
• 病気 - disease

発病したらすぐに医者に診てもらいましょう。

Hatsubyou shitara sugu ni isha ni mite moraimashou

if you get sick

Ask your doctor as soon as you get sick.

• 発病したら - "hatsubyou shitara" means "when you get sick"
• すぐに - "sugu ni" means "immediately"
• 医者に - "isha ni" means "to a doctor"
• 診てもらいましょう - "mite moraimashou" means "let's ask to be examined"

看護師は病気の人々を助けるために大切な存在です。

Kangoshi wa byouki no hitobito wo tasukeru tame ni taisetsu na sonzai desu

Nurses are an important presence to help sick people.

Nurses are important to help sick people.

• 看護師 - nurse
• は - Topic particle
• 病気 - illness
• の - Possessive particle
• 人々 - people
• を - Direct object particle
• 助ける - to help
• ために - For
• 大切な - Important
• 存在 - existence
• です - Verb to be/estar

私の病気は治るでしょうか？

Watashi no byouki wa naoru deshou ka?

Will my illness be healed?

• 私 - Japanese personal pronoun that means "I"
• の - Japanese particle indicating possession or relationship between two things
• 病気 - Japanese noun meaning "disease"
• は - Japanese particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 治る - Japanese verb that means "heal"
• でしょうか - Japanese expression that indicates a polite or uncertain question

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