ป่วย

Explanation

ป่วย is a common, broad term covering anything from a temporary illness to a condition requiring medical treatment. It functions as the predicate by itself, as in ฉันป่วย, “I am sick.” A specific illness is commonly introduced with ป่วยเป็น followed by the disease name. คนป่วย means “a sick person,” while ผู้ป่วย is the standard term for a medical patient. The word can also be used metaphorically for a society or system that is unhealthy or dysfunctional, but this is a direct extension of its basic meaning.

Usage

It is commonly used when discussing your own or someone else's health, explaining an absence from school or work, or stating the duration or type of an illness. The form ผู้ป่วย appears frequently in hospitals, medical information, and news reports.

Caution

To say that someone is sick, use ป่วย directly, as in ฉันป่วย; do not say เป็นป่วย. However, เป็น does follow ป่วย before the name of a disease, as in ป่วยเป็นไข้หวัด. Calling a person's thoughts or character ป่วย can sound harsh, insulting, or stigmatizing. Also note that ป่วยการ is a separate fixed expression meaning “to be pointless or useless.”

1 be ill synonyms

• เจ็บ

  cèp be ill

  เจ็บ primarily means “hurt” or “be painful” and is often used for pain in a particular body part. ป่วย describes illness or poor health more generally, whether or not pain is involved.

• เจ็บป่วย

  เจ็บป่วย also means “be ill,” but it is somewhat more formal than ป่วย and often appears in discussions of health, care, or welfare.

• ไม่สบาย

  ไม่สบาย is a softer way to say that someone does not feel well and is common for mild discomfort. ป่วย refers more directly to illness or a health problem.