Have you ever heard: yǒu shénme bié yǒu bìng, méi shenme bié méi qián? (有什么别有病, 没什么别没

钱: have everything, but don't have sickness; don't have everything, don't have no money - sickness is the last thing one would have, and money is the last thing one would not have.) That is so true, but if you hear someone say nǐ yǒu bìng (你有病, you have sickness), don't take it at face meaning, it means you are either doing something stupid or aberrant, or being unreasonable. Similar meanings are also expressed by yǒu máo bìng (有毛病, have hair sickness) and shén jīng bìng (神经病, neurotic disease).

Likewise, xīn bìng (心病, heart sickness) is not heart disease but a secret remorse or worry. Other sickness that has no medical cure include: xiāng sī bìng (相思病, lovesickness), yǚ bìng (语病, language sickness: faulty sentence) and zhí yè bìng (职业病, bad habit or addiction).

(China Daily 09/27/2007 page15)