<p>身体 doesn't mean health, it just means 'body'.</p>
<p>你<strong>身体</strong>好吗？ (is your <strong>body</strong> fine) =  how is your <strong>body</strong>.</p>
<p>If your body is fine (身体很好), then you are healthy</p>
<p>If your body is not fine (身体不好), then you are not healthy</p>
<p>We have a word for health and it is 健康</p>
<blockquote>
<p>How is your <strong>health</strong> = 你的<strong>健康</strong>如何？</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Are you <strong>healthy</strong>? = 你<strong>健康</strong>吗?</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote>
<p>Is your <strong>body healthy</strong>? = 你的<strong>身体健康</strong>吗?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>体格 means 'physique' (the form, size, and development of a person's body) = The condition of one's body, e.g. 体格強建， 体格孱弱 (Strong physique, weak physique)</p>
<p>体格不佳， (one's physique is not great) doesn't mean 身体不好 (one's body is not fine/ not healthy), it just means one's physique is weak e.g. too short, too thin, lack strength, and so on</p>
<p>Edit:</p>
<p>身体健康 (the body's health) doesn't include mental health, which is called 精神健康.</p>
<p>For the health of both body and mind, it is 身心健康 (the health of the mind and body)</p>
<p><em>Since 健康 can be an adjective or noun 身体健康 can mean 'the body's health' or 'one's body is healthy'</em></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-13T00:17:09.963Z
"If your body is fine (身体很好), then you are healthy". This doesn't include mental health, does it?
joehua
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-13T01:43:56.557Z
See my edit at  the bottom
Tang Ho
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-12T13:02:58.500Z
2021-01-13T01:51:19.320Z
2021-01-13T01:51:19.320Z
Tang Ho
<p>I've seen a curious Chinese word 身体. At first, I have discovered that it means 'body' and is a word with a broader meaning in comparison to 身材 or 体格. But I never understood why it means 'body' or, yet another meaning, 'health'. There is a question 《 你身体好吗？》which literally means '<strong>How is your health?</strong>'. While trying to seek for etymology, I turned out to be stuck because searching engines gave me no proper result about it.</p>
<p>Thanks for any help in finding the answer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-01-12T12:56:47.340Z
The concepts of one's body and one's health seem very closely related to me.
Olle Linge
<meaning><etymology>
Why does 身体 mean both "body" and "health"?
# Why does 身体 mean both "body" and "health"?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-01-12)

I've seen a curious Chinese word 身体. At first, I have discovered that it means 'body' and is a word with a broader meaning in comparison to 身材 or 体格. But I never understood why it means 'body' or, yet another meaning, 'health'. There is a question 《 你身体好吗？》which literally means '**How is your health?**'. While trying to seek for etymology, I turned out to be stuck because searching engines gave me no proper result about it.

Thanks for any help in finding the answer.

**Tags:** meaning, etymology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The concepts of one's body and one's health seem very closely related to me.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2021-01-12. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

身体 doesn't mean health, it just means 'body'.

你**身体**好吗？ (is your **body** fine) = how is your **body**.

If your body is fine (身体很好), then you are healthy

If your body is not fine (身体不好), then you are not healthy

We have a word for health and it is 健康

> How is your **health** = 你的**健康**如何？

> Are you **healthy**? = 你**健康**吗?

> Is your **body healthy**? = 你的**身体健康**吗?

体格 means 'physique' (the form, size, and development of a person's body) = The condition of one's body, e.g. 体格強建， 体格孱弱 (Strong physique, weak physique)

体格不佳， (one's physique is not great) doesn't mean 身体不好 (one's body is not fine/ not healthy), it just means one's physique is weak e.g. too short, too thin, lack strength, and so on

Edit:

身体健康 (the body's health) doesn't include mental health, which is called 精神健康.

For the health of both body and mind, it is 身心健康 (the health of the mind and body)

*Since 健康 can be an adjective or noun 身体健康 can mean 'the body's health' or 'one's body is healthy'*

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: "If your body is fine (身体很好), then you are healthy". This doesn't include mental health, does it?  
> **username_2**: See my edit at  the bottom  

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