Definition

1. Verb:
   • To visit a sick person: The primary meaning of "thăm bệnh" is to go and see someone who is ill, typically at their home or in a hospital, to offer companionship, comfort, or check on their condition.
   • To make a medical visit / to conduct a patient visit: In a professional or formal context, especially for a doctor, "thăm bệnh" means to visit a patient for the purpose of examination, consultation, or treatment.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cô ấy thường xuyên đến bệnh viện để thăm bệnh mẹ mình. (She regularly goes to the hospital to visit her sick mother.)
  • Bác sĩ sẽ thăm bệnh cho bạn vào lúc 10 giờ sáng. (The doctor will visit you for a medical consultation at 10 a.m.)

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used in formal announcements or schedules, such as "giờ thăm bệnh" (visiting hours) in healthcare settings.
  • Giờ thăm bệnh tại bệnh viện kết thúc lúc 8 giờ tối. (Visiting hours at the hospital end at 8 p.m.)

Variants and Related Words

• Thăm nom (v): to visit and care for someone.

  • Hàng xóm tốt bụng thường xuyên thăm nom cụ già ốm yếu. (The kind neighbor regularly visits and cares for the frail elderly woman.)

• Thăm hỏi (v): to visit and inquire about someone's well-being.

  • Đoàn công tác đã đến thăm hỏi các gia đình có hoàn cảnh khó khăn. (The working delegation visited and inquired about the well-being of families in difficult circumstances.)

Synonyms

• Visit the sick: to call on someone who is ill.
• Make a patient visit: to see a patient professionally (for medical personnel).

Related Idioms

• While "thăm bệnh" itself is not typically part of a figurative idiom, the act is central to the Vietnamese cultural value of "tình làng nghĩa xóm" (village sentiment and neighborly obligation), which emphasizes visiting and helping the sick.