重体

じゅうたい

seriously ill, critical state

JLPT N3

Character Breakdown

Meaning and Usage

"重体" (じゅうたい) refers specifically to a serious or critical medical condition, often used to describe patients who are gravely ill or injured. It is a formal term commonly used in hospitals, news reports, and emergency contexts.

Common Contexts

You will often hear "重体" in news about accidents, severe illnesses, or disasters where someone's life is at risk. It implies a state more severe than just "ill" (病気) or "injured" (けが).

Collocations and Patterns

  • 重体になる: to become critically ill
  • 重体の患者: critically ill patient
  • 重体で搬送される: to be transported in critical condition

Usage Notes

"重体" is a noun and is often used with verbs like なる (to become) or である (to be). It is not used for non-medical situations. Avoid confusing it with "重たい" (heavy), which is an adjective with a different meaning and reading.

Register

This term is formal and mostly used in medical or official contexts rather than casual conversation.

Example Sentences

じこでかれはじゅうたいになった。

He became critically ill due to the accident.

かんじゃはいまもじゅうたいで、いしらがけんめいにちりょうしている。

The patient is still in critical condition, and the doctors are treating him desperately.

じゅうたいのかんじゃはしゅうちゅうちりょうしつにはこばれた。

The critically ill patient was taken to the intensive care unit.