What is the Kanji for "Illness"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Illness", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Illness" is "病".

This kanji has 4 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Ya" and "Yamai".

Its onyomi readings are "Hei" and "Byou".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The kanji "丙" means "3rd", "3rd calendar sign", and "Third class" and can be read as "Hei" and "Hinoe". And The radical "疒" means "Sick" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "病" mean in japanese?

"病" means "Illness".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

病気: "Illness". The Japanese verbal noun '病気 (びょうき)' means 'illness'. This term refers to a state of being unwell, either physically or mentally. It can be used to describe any type of sickness, disease, or medical condition affecting a person's health. For example: He has an illness - (彼は病気です). I'm recovering from an illness - (私は病気から回復しています).

病院: "Hospital". The Japanese noun '病院 (びょういん)' refers to a medical facility where people go to receive medical treatment and care. It is a place where doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals work to diagnose and treat patients. Hospitals in Japan provide a wide range of services, from emergency care to specialized treatments. For example: I went to the hospital for a checkup - (健診のために病院に行きました). The hospital is located near the train station - (その病院は駅の近くにあります).

病: "Illness". The Japanese suffix '病 (びょう)' means 'illness' or 'disease'. It is commonly used to form words that describe various medical conditions and afflictions. For example: 肺炎 (はいえん) - pneumonia (lung illness), アレルギー性鼻炎 (アレルギーせいびえん) - allergic rhinitis (allergy illness of the nose). The suffix '病 (びょう)' is a versatile and frequently used component in Japanese medical and health-related terminology.

急病: "Sudden illness". The Japanese noun '急病 (きゅうびょう)' means 'sudden illness'. This term refers to an abrupt, unexpected onset of a health condition that requires immediate medical attention. It is used to describe situations where someone suddenly falls ill, often with severe symptoms that demand prompt medical care. For example: He was rushed to the hospital due to a sudden illness - (彼は急病のため病院に緊急搬送された).

看病: "Caregiving". The Japanese verbal noun '看病 (かんびょう)' means 'caregiving'. It refers to the act of providing care, attention, or nursing to a sick or ill person. This word is commonly used to describe the tasks and responsibilities involved in caring for someone who is unwell, such as administering medication, monitoring their condition, and assisting with daily activities. For example: She has been taking care of her elderly mother - (彼女は祖母の看病をしている). Caregiving can be a challenging but rewarding experience - (看病は大変だが、やりがいのあることもある).

臆病: "Cowardice". The Japanese adjectival noun '臆病 (おくびょう)' means 'cowardice'. It describes a person who is timid, fearful, and lacking courage. This word has a negative connotation and is often used to criticize someone for being afraid or unwilling to take risks. For example: He is a coward - (彼は臆病だ). His cowardice prevented him from helping others - (彼の臆病さはほかの人を手伝うのを妨げた).

病室: "Room". The Japanese noun '病室 (びょうしつ)' means 'room'. This word specifically refers to a room in a hospital or clinic where patients stay and receive medical treatment. It is typically a private or semi-private space designated for an individual patient. For example: I had to stay in the hospital room for two days - (私は2日間病室に入院していました). The doctor will see you in the patient's room - (医師が患者の病室で診察します).

病人: "Patient". The Japanese noun '病人 (びょうにん)' means 'patient'. This word refers to a person who is receiving medical treatment or care for an illness or injury. It can be used to describe someone who is currently admitted to a hospital or receiving some other form of healthcare. For example: The patient is recovering well - (病人は順調に回復している). The hospital has many patients - (病院には患者がたくさんいる).

病死: "Die". The verbal noun '病死 (びょうし)' means 'to die'. This term refers to someone passing away due to illness or disease. It is a formal and serious way to describe a person's death, often used in official or medical contexts. For example: He died of cancer - (彼は癌で病死した). The patient died in the hospital - (患者は病院で病死した).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "や" is read as "ya". The hiragana "へ" is read as "he". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". The hiragana "び" is read as "bi". The hiragana "う" is read as "u". And The hiragana "ま" is read as "ma".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.