hei2 beng6起病
Jyutpinghei2 beng6
Yalehéi behng
Definition
To fall ill; the onset of an illness.
neutralhealth
How it's used
Medical professionals use this term to describe the specific moment or process when symptoms first manifest. It is more formal than simply saying 病咗 or 發病 and is typically reserved for clinical contexts or when discussing the history of a condition. You will rarely hear this in casual conversation unless the speaker is providing a detailed account of a medical timeline.
Examples
He suddenly fell ill last week and had to be hospitalized.
Related words
Common phrases
sudden onset of illness
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the common verb 病, which just means to be sick. Using 起病 in a casual setting to describe a common cold often sounds overly clinical or stiff.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
