生病了吗？
shēngbìng le ma?
Are you feeling sick · trad. 生病了嗎？
生病了吗？ (shēngbìng le ma) is a caring question asking if someone is feeling unwell or has fallen ill. It's commonly used when you notice someone looks or acts sick.
What does 生病了吗？ (shēngbìng le ma?) mean?
生病了吗？ (shēngbìng le ma?) means “are you feeling sick” in English. Word for word, it breaks down as “get sick particle question.”
When to use it
Neutral and caring. It's a direct question. A common reply if you are sick is “是的，我生病了” (shìde, wǒ shēngbìng le), “Yes, I'm sick.”
How to pronounce it
Sounds like “shung-BING luh mah.” The first syllable is a high, level tone, the second is a falling tone, and the last two are light, neutral tones.
Other ways to say it
- 你生病了nǐ shēngbìng leyou are sick (statement)
- 不舒服吗？bù shūfu ma?Are you uncomfortable?
- 哪里不舒服？nǎli bù shūfu?Where are you uncomfortable?
Examples
你看起来不太好，生病了吗？
nǐ kànqilai bú tài hǎo, shēngbìng le ma?
You don't look so good, are you feeling sick?
他今天没来上学，是不是生病了？
tā jīntiān méi lái shàngxué, shì bu shì shēngbìng le?
He didn't come to school today, is he sick?
妈妈摸了摸我的额头，问我生病了吗？
māma mō le mo wǒ de étóu, wèn wǒ shēngbìng le ma?
Mom touched my forehead and asked if I was sick.
Pro tip: This question often implies concern and can be accompanied by a gesture like placing a palm on someone's forehead to check for a fever.
Related phrases
摔倒了？不疼不疼 · Did you fall it's okay, it's okay站起来 · Stand up量体温 · Let's take your temperature
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