病床: meaning, pinyin, and usage

Understanding "病床" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 病床
• Pinyin: bìngchuáng
• Literal Meaning: Sick bed / illness bed
• Primary Meaning: Hospital bed, sickbed (a bed used by a patient in a hospital, clinic, or sometimes at home for medical care)

2. In-depth Explanation

• Context and Usage: "病床" is a noun used most often in medical settings. It refers specifically to an institutional bed for the sick, not a regular bed someone might sleep in while having a mild cold at home. You will hear it in phrases like "住院病床" (in-patient bed) or "病床紧张" (shortage of hospital beds). It can also be used metaphorically to describe a bedridden state (for example, "离不开病床" means unable to leave the sickbed). When counting, the typical measure word is 张 (zhāng): 一张病床 (one hospital bed).
• Character Breakdown:
• 病 (bìng): Sickness, illness, disease. It functions as a modifier here, indicating the purpose of the bed.
• 床 (chuáng): Bed, couch, sleeping platform.
  Together, the combination directly communicates "a bed for the sick." The logic is straightforward and matches the English compound "sickbed."

3. Example Sentences

• Chinese: 医院里增加了许多病床。
• Pinyin: Yīyuàn lǐ zēngjiā le xǔduō bìngchuáng.
• English: The hospital has added many hospital beds.

• Chinese: 他躺在病床上看窗外的风景。
• Pinyin: Tā tǎng zài bìngchuáng shang kàn chuāngwài de fēngjǐng.
• English: He lies on the hospital bed looking at the scenery outside the window.

• Chinese: 这次疫情使病床的需求量大增。
• Pinyin: Zhè cì yìqíng shǐ bìngchuáng de xūqiúliàng dà zēng.
• English: This pandemic has greatly increased the demand for hospital beds.

Cultural Notes (if applicable)

In many Chinese hospitals, a single room may contain multiple 病床, and family members are often heavily involved in bedside care, sometimes even bringing foldable beds to stay overnight. Because of this, the 病床 is not just a medical fixture but a center of family attention. In public health discussions, you may encounter the idiom "一床难求" (yī chuáng nán qiú) meaning "hard to find a single hospital bed," reflecting pressure on healthcare resources. Another related term is "病床号" (bìngchuáng hào, bed number), used for identification in wards.

Conclusion

"病床" (bìngchuáng) is a transparent compound: 病 (sick) + 床 (bed). It precisely means a hospital bed or sickbed. Use it whenever you talk about patients in a clinical environment, bed availability, or the experience of being hospitalized. Remember it with the image of a regulated, mechanical bed in a sterile room—a universal concept made clear in Chinese.