The Meaning of byouin [病院] In Japanese

病院
びょういん
Romaji: byouin N5

What does 病院 mean?

Translation and Meaning

hospital, medical facility

Definition

What does 病院 mean? It means a medical facility where patients receive diagnosis, treatment, and care. In Japanese usage, 病院 refers to a formal healthcare institution staffed by doctors and nurses, offering inpatient and outpatient services.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning: a medical facility where patients receive diagnosis and care.
  • Scope includes inpatient and outpatient services, not just a single clinic room.
  • Used in formal writing and everyday speech to refer to hospitals.

Composition

  • 病 byō illness or sickness radical
  • 院 in institution or building
  • Together they denote a building dedicated to the treatment of illness

Usage

Hospitals are common in Japanese life and language, used in formal and casual contexts. It is typically paired with verbs such as 行く, 診察を受ける, 入院する; 病院へ行く, 病院で診察を受ける; in more formal contexts you may see 病院を受診する. The term is preferred over 医院 in most everyday language and standard documents when referring to a generic hospital.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 病 as a sick person under a roof and 院 as a large building; combine them and you get a building for healing—the hospital.

Variations

  • 診療所 — shinryōsho (clinic)
  • クリニック — kurinikku (clinic)
  • 大学病院 — daigaku-byōin (university hospital)

Example Phrases

  • 私は 今日 病院へ 行って、 薬を 受け取りました。
    Watashi wa kyou byouin e itte, kusuri o uketorimashita.
    I went to the hospital today and picked up the medicine.
    Lista:
    • 私は (watashi wa) – I
    • 今日 (kyou) – today
    • 病院へ (byouin e) – to the hospital
    • 行って (itte) – go (te-form)
    • 薬を (kusuri o) – medicine
    • 受け取りました (uketorimashita) – received / picked up
    Uso da forma て para encadear ações: 病院へ行って conecta ir ao local com a ação seguinte; 薬を受け取りました usa o objeto com o verbo receber; 「病院」 indica o local da ação e は marca o tópico em 私は.
  • 病院で 医師の 指示 に 従い 治療 を 続ける。
    byouin de ishi no shiji ni shitagai chiryou o tsuzukeru
    I will continue the treatment at the hospital, following the doctor’s instructions.
    Lista:
    • 病院で (byouin de) – at the hospital
    • 医師の (ishi no) – doctor’s
    • 指示 (shiji) – instructions
    • に (ni) – to
    • 従い (shitagai) – following
    • 治療 (chiryou) – treatment
    • を (o) – (object marker)
    • 続ける (tsuzukeru) – continue
    Core grammar: 「治療」 is a noun meaning ‘treatment’; here it is the direct object of 「を」 with the verb 「続ける」.
  • 病院で看護師が手を丁寧に消毒した。
    Byouin de kangoshi ga te o teinei ni shoudoku shita.
    The nurse carefully disinfected her hands at the hospital.
    Lista:
    • 病院で (Byouin de) – at the hospital
    • 看護師が (kangoshi ga) – the nurse (subject)
    • 手を (te o) – hands (object)
    • 丁寧に (teinei ni) – carefully
    • 消毒した (shoudoku shita) – disinfected
    In this sentence, 「消毒」 is the noun ‘disinfection’ used with the verb する (消毒した); the action occurs at 病院で, indicated by the location particle で; 丁寧に describes the manner.
  • 病院の 廊下で、担架を 使って 患者を 運ぶ。
    Byōin no rōka de, tanka o tsukatte kanja o hakobu.
    In the hospital corridor, a patient is carried on a stretcher.
    Lista:
    • 病院の (byōin no) – hospital’s
    • 廊下で (rōka de) – in the hallway
    • 担架を (tanka o) – a stretcher
    • 使って (tsukatte) – using
    • 患者を (kanja o) – patient
    • 運ぶ (hakobu) – carry
    「担架」 is a tool noun; the sentence uses を使って to express ‘using a stretcher to move a patient’.
  • 病院の 寝台 で 患者 は 静かに 眠りについた。
    Byōin no nedai de kanja wa shizuka ni nemuri ni tsuita.
    A patient fell asleep quietly on the hospital bed.
    Lista:
    • 病院の (Byōin no) – hospital’s
    • 寝台 (nedai) – bed
    • で (de) – at
    • 患者 (kanja) – patient
    • は (wa) – topic marker
    • 静かに (shizuka ni) – quietly
    • 眠りについた (nemuri ni tsuita) – fell asleep
    Notes the target word 「寝台」 meaning bed/sleeping surface; here it marks the hospital bed on which the patient falls asleep.
病院