健康 (jiànkāng) means 'health' as a noun or 'healthy' as an adjective. The character 健 (jiàn) conveys strength, vigor, and robustness—often used in words like 健身 (to exercise) or 健壮 (strong and sturdy). The character 康 (kāng) suggests well-being, peace, and prosperity—seen in terms like 康复 (recovery) or 康乐 (wellness and recreation). Together, 健康 emphasizes both physical soundness and holistic well-being, not just the absence of illness but also vitality and balance.

This word is widely used in daily life: in medical contexts (e.g., 健康检查 'health checkup'), lifestyle discussions (e.g., 健康饮食 'healthy diet'), and general compliments (e.g., 祝你身体健康 'Wish you good health'). It can function as a subject, object, or predicate—e.g., 他很健康 (He is healthy) or 保持健康很重要 (Maintaining health is important). Unlike English, Chinese often omits articles or copulas when using 健康 predicatively, so no 是 is needed before it in simple statements.