病源

bìngyuán

noun #35,686

Meanings

1 cause of disease
2 source of illness
3 pathogen / etiology

Characters

illness / disease

source / origin

Examples

HSK 6

饮用水污染是这次流行病的病源。

Yǐnyòngshuǐ wūrǎn shì zhè cì liúxíngbìng de bìngyuán.

Contaminated drinking water was the source of this epidemic.

HSK 7-9

医生需要找出病源才能对症下药。

Yīshēng xūyào zhǎochū bìngyuán cáinéng duìzhèng-xiàyào.

The doctor needs to identify the source of the illness before prescribing the right treatment.

Tips

usage

病 (illness) + 源 (source). Distinct from 病因 ('cause of illness' in a broader sense including risk factors) and 病原体 ('pathogen' - the actual microorganism). 病源 sits between the two: the upstream source from which the disease arises.

Stroke Order

病 bìng

源 yuán