affliction · worry

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 患 has 11 strokes, the on-reading かん, and the kun-reading わずらう. 患う (わずらう) means to suffer from an illness.
• Basic usage: 患う describes having an illness; 患者 (かんじゃ) names a patient.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Having an illness and playing a patient
  • 腰痛を患う友人 refers to a friend who suffers from back pain. 幼いころに大きな病を患っていた means that someone had a serious illness in childhood.
  • 患者の話に耳を傾ける means to listen attentively to a patient. 患者役と受付役 refers to the patient and receptionist roles assigned in class.