病人
Meanings
1
Refers broadly to someone who is ill, whether at home or under care. Compared with 患者, it emphasizes the person's being sick rather than their role as a medical patient; the English gloss 'invalid' is old-fashioned and means someone incapacitated by illness.
There is a sick person at home, so I will go home early today.
You must not force a sick person to work.
Usage patterns
- 病人を看病するto nurse/care for a sick person
My mother is nursing the sick person.
- 病人を見舞うto visit a sick person
I visited the sick person together with a friend.
- 病人が出るfor a sick person to turn up (in a household, group, etc.)
Every winter someone in this house falls ill.
- 病人扱いするto treat someone as if they were sick
I hated being treated like an invalid even though I felt fine.