生病
to fall ill; to get sick
shēngbìng
What does 生病 mean?
生病 (shēngbìng) means 'to fall ill / to get sick.' It is a verb-object compound: 生 ('to produce / develop') + 病 ('illness'), literally 'to grow an illness.' Because 病 is already the object, you cannot add another noun after it — to specify the illness, restructure with 得 + illness: 他得了感冒 ('he caught a cold'). 生病 as a verb usually pairs with 了 to mark the change of state: 我生病了 ('I've gotten sick').
It does not work like an adjective; 'sick' as a state is expressed by 病了 or 不舒服 ('uncomfortable / unwell'). To say 'sick child' or 'sick person,' the natural phrasing is 生病的孩子 or 病人 — not 生病孩子. Use 生病 for any general illness; for specific diagnoses, switch to 感冒
Character breakdown
to be born; to produce; to develop
illness; disease
Memory hook: 生 (develop) + 病 (illness) = an illness develops in you — you get sick.
Example sentences
我昨天生病了。
Wǒ zuótiān shēngbìng le.
I got sick yesterday.
spoken
他生病了，不能来上班。
Tā shēngbìng le, bù néng lái shàngbān.
He's sick and can't come to work.
neutral
冬天孩子很容易生病。
Dōngtiān háizi hěn róngyì shēngbìng.
Kids easily get sick in winter.
neutral
你看医生了吗？还生病吗？
Nǐ kàn yīshēng le ma? Hái shēngbìng ma?
Did you see a doctor? Are you still sick?
spoken
Common phrases with 生病
Synonyms
不舒服 ('uncomfortable / unwell') is softer and broader — it covers feeling slightly off, tired, or with mild symptoms. Use 生病 when you've actually become ill; use 不舒服 when you just don't feel great.
得病 ('to contract a disease') is more clinical and points to a specific illness being caught. 生病 is the everyday word; 得病 sounds more serious and is often paired with the name of the disease: 得了感冒.
Don't confuse 生病 with
身体 is the noun 'body / health'; 生病 is the verb 'to fall ill.' 身体不好 ('health is poor') describes a state; 生病了 ('got sick') describes an event.
病 alone is the noun 'illness' (a disease) or the verb 'to be ill' (他病了 'he's sick'). 生病 is the standard verb form; 病 alone as a verb is more colloquial / abrupt.