看病

かんびょう

nursing (a patient)

JLPT N2

Character Breakdown

Usage of 看病

The verb 看病 (kànbìng) primarily means 'to see a doctor' or 'to seek medical treatment.' It is commonly used when talking about going to a hospital or clinic for illness or health check-ups.

Common Contexts

  • Visiting a doctor for illness: 医院看病 (I go to the hospital to see a doctor).
  • Taking care of sick family members can also use 看病, but more often 看病 focuses on the patient seeking treatment.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 看病 (go to see a doctor): the most common phrase.
  • 看病时候 (when seeing a doctor): used to describe the time or situation.
  • 孩子看病 (take a child to see a doctor): common in family contexts.

Nuances

看病 is a neutral, everyday term suitable for all registers. It differs from 医生, which literally means 'see a doctor' but is less commonly used as a set phrase. 看病 emphasizes the act of seeking medical care rather than just meeting a doctor.

Common Confusion

Don't confuse 看病 with (yīzhì), which means 'to treat' or 'to cure' and is more formal and medical-professional oriented. 看病 is what patients do; is what doctors do.

Example Sentences

I went to the hospital to see a doctor today; the doctor said I have a cold.

When a child is sick, parents should take him to see a doctor promptly.

He goes to the hospital every year to see a doctor and have a physical