诊断

• Pinyin: zhěn duàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 诊 = to examine (medical); 断 = to judge/determine

Meaning

To diagnose; diagnosis. Identifying a disease or problem through examination.

Primarily medical but also used for technical problems. Common phrases: 诊断结果 (diagnosis result), 诊断书 (medical certificate), 故障诊断 (fault diagnosis). Can be verb or noun.

Examples

1. 医生诊断他得了流感。 The doctor diagnosed him with the flu.
2. 这台机器需要专业人员进行故障诊断。 This machine needs a professional to perform fault diagnosis.
3. 早期诊断对于治疗癌症非常重要。 Early diagnosis is very important for treating cancer.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, technical, professional

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 医生的诊断是什么？(What is the doctor's diagnosis?)
• 我需要做进一步的诊断检查。(I need further diagnostic tests.)

Don't Say

• 诊断我的心情 (诊断 is for medical/technical issues — for emotional states, use 判断 or 分析)

Origin & History

Compound of 诊 (to examine a patient) and 断 (to judge, determine). To examine and determine.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal