What does “byouin” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “byouin” to mean ‘hospital’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese conversations. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners to understand “byouin” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “byouin”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “byouin”.
- byouin – 病院 (びょういん) : a noun meaning ‘hospital’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Japanese native speakers use this noun to refer to a place, normally a large building, where people receive medial care.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear, I think. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Byouin in kanji
The kanji expression of “byouin” consists of the following two characters:
- 病 : a kanji character widely used in Japanese words related to disease, sickness, or illness. This kanji can also be found in other words like “byouki“.
- 院 : a kanji character often used as a suffix to add the meaning of ‘institution’, ‘building’, ‘office’, or such.
From these two kanji characters, we can understand that “byouin” literally means a ‘building for disease’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Hospitals are buildings for the diseased, injured, or sick.
When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about meanings of words they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “byouin” through the detailed kanji check above.
Then, let me explain how to use “byouin” through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “hospital” in Japanese
boku wa kinou byouin ni it ta – 僕は昨日病院に行った (ぼくはきのうびょういんにいった)
I went to a hospital yesterday.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- boku – 僕 (ぼく) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese. This is used mainly by boys and young males.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “boku” to make the subject word in the sentence.
- kinou – 昨日 (きのう) : a noun meaning ‘yesterday’ in Japanese. This can also work as an adverb almost anywhere in a sentence. In the example, this works as an adverb to say “yesterday” in Japanese.
- ni – に : a case particle used to say where someone or something goes. In the example, this is used after “byouin” to say where “boku” went yesterday.
- it – 行っ (いっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “iku”, which means ‘to go’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. Probably, this is well known as a part of Japanese ta form. In the example, this is used after “it” to make its past tense form, “it ta”.
This is a typical usage of “byouin”. When we want to say “hospital” in Japanese, this noun is a very good option.
Example #2: another usage of “byouin”
kare wa byouin de hatarai te iru – 彼は病院で働いている (かれはびょういんではたらいている)
He is working at the hospital.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kare – 彼 (かれ) : a pronoun meaning ‘he’ in Japanese.
- de – で : a case particle used to say where someone does something. In the example, this is used after “byouin” to say where “kare” is working.
- hatarai – 働い (はたらい) : one conjugation of the verb, “hataraku”, which means ‘to work’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- te – て : a conjunctive particle used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its te form. In the example, this is used after “hatarai” to make its te form, “hatarai te”. Verbs need to be changed to their te forms to be connected with “iru”.
- iru – いる : an auxiliary verb used to express the continuity of the action described by its preceding verb. In the example, this is used after the te-formed verb, “hatarai te”, to express the continuity of its action, ‘to work’.
This is another typical usage of “byouin”. In this example, it is used together with “de” to indicate the place where “kare” is working.
Summary
In this blog pose, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “byouin” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- byouin – 病院 (びょういん) : a noun meaning ‘hospital’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘building for disease’. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the meaning, but still very close, I think. Hospitals are buildings for the diseased, injured, or sick.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.
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