病

JLPT N4

Illness

Readings

On’yomi: ビョウ, ヘイ (byou, hei)

Kun’yomi: や(む), やまい (ya(mu), yamai)

• やまい (yamai) – illness, sickness • やむ (yamu) – to fall ill, to suffer from disease

Structure

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Detailed Explanation

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Mnemonic

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Etymology

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Visual Tip

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Vocabulary

病気

びょうき

illness

病院

びょういん

hospital

発病

はつびょう

onset of illness

看病

かんびょう

nursing

重病

じゅうびょう

serious illness

Example Sentences

病気になりました。

びょうきになりました。

I became ill.

病院へ行きます。

びょういんへいきます。

I go to the hospital.

発病しました。

はつびょうしました。

The illness started.

母を看病します。

ははをかんびょうします。

I nurse my mother.

重病です。

じゅうびょうです。

It is a serious illness.

Cultural Note

🏥 In Japan, health and wellness are deeply valued. The word 病気 (びょうき) is often used gently — people avoid saying harsh terms like “disease” and instead prefer 体の調子が悪い (からだのちょうしがわるい) — “not feeling well.”
Visiting a 病院 (びょういん) is very routine; regular checkups are common even for minor issues. There are also 精神病院 (せいしんびょういん) for mental health care, which reflects Japan’s slowly growing attention to psychological wellbeing.
Additionally, in Buddhist thought, 病 symbolizes one of the “four sufferings” — 生老病死 (しょうろうびょうし) — “birth, aging, sickness, and death,” the inevitable parts of human life.