发病

• Pinyin: fā bìng
• Hanzi breakdown: 发 = triggering, onset; 病 = 疒 (sickness radical) + 丙 (phonetic) — illness manifesting

Meaning

To fall ill; onset of disease. The point at which a disease or medical condition begins to manifest symptoms.

Used in medical contexts to describe the beginning of illness. Key phrases: 发病率 (incidence rate), 发病原因 (cause of onset), 急性发病 (acute onset). Can be used for both physical and mental conditions. More clinical than just 生病 (get sick).

Examples

1. 这种病的发病初期症状不明显，容易被忽视。 The early symptoms of this disease are not obvious and can easily be overlooked.
2. 医生说他的发病原因跟长期压力过大有关。 The doctor said his illness onset was related to long-term excessive stress.
3. 老年人心脏病发病率比年轻人高得多。 The incidence rate of heart disease in elderly people is much higher than in young people.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, health, statistics

Tone: clinical

Do Say

• 这种疾病在冬季发病率最高。(This disease has the highest incidence rate in winter.)
• 他上周突然发病被送进了医院。(He suddenly fell ill last week and was taken to the hospital.)

Don't Say

• 在日常口语中用发病代替生病 (Don't use 发病 in casual speech to mean 'get sick' — it sounds too clinical; use 生病 instead)

Origin & History

Compound of 发 (emit, trigger) + 病 (illness). Literally 'illness breaks out.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal