больной
bol'noy
The Russian word for sick is больной (bol'noy).
The word больной is used for physical illness. In a colloquial sense, it can also be used to mean 'crazy'.
Meaning: ill, used as a substantive: sick people, collectively (adj)
Which one should you use?
While больной can mean 'sick', it can also be used as a noun to mean 'a patient' or 'a sick person'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective больной changes its ending to больная when describing a female person or a feminine noun. The plural form of the adjective is больные. The form больного is used when the 'sick person' is the object of a preposition like 'из' (from) or in the genitive case.
How do you pronounce it?
bol'noy
Did you know?
- The root of 'sick' is the noun боль, which means 'pain', making the word literally 'the one with pain'.
- The word больной can be used to describe a person's character as 'sick' or 'twisted' if their behavior is considered abnormal or erratic.
- To say 'to be sick', Russians use the verb болеть, which contains the same root for 'pain'.
Examples in context
- Да ты больной, да?You're sick, aren't you?This sentence shows how больной can be used to question someone's mental state.Tatoeba #13562987 by Ooneykcall, translation #3185586 by CK
- У меня больной сын.I have a son who's sick.Tatoeba #5761696 by marafon, translation #2358821 by CK
- У тебя больной вид.You look sick.Tatoeba #5875053 by marafon, translation #317727 by CK
- Мой друг болен.My friend is sick.
- Заболевший пациент излечится.The sick patient will recover.
- У пациента имеются недомогания.The patient has discomfort.
- Сегодня не могу выйти, потому что болею.I can't go out today because I'm sick.
- У меня болит голова.I have a headache.
- У меня болит живот.I have a stomachache.
- Не могу пойти на работу, потому что чувствую себя плохо.I can't go to work because I feel bad.
- У меня сопли.I have a runny nose.
- 72 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Dmitry and Olga are talking in a hospital hallway.
- Дмитрий DmitryОльга, ты видела этого больного?Ol'ga, ty videla etogo bol'nogo?Olga, have you seen this sick man?
- Ольга OlgaНет, Дмитрий, я его не видела.Net, Dmitriy, ya yego ne videla.No, Dmitry, I haven't seen him.
- Дмитрий DmitryБольной выглядит очень слабым.Bol'noy vyglyadit ochen' slabym.The sick man looks very weak.
- Ольга OlgaНадеюсь, ему скоро станет лучше.Nadeyus', yemu skoro stanet luchshe.I hope he feels better soon.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries больной, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
