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医术 (yī shù) — medical skill, art of healing, medical expertise

Definition

Refers to a practitioner's medical skill or expertise — the art of healing itself, not the science or the field (which is 医学). Often used for traditional Chinese medicine doctors.

noun
medical skillart of healingmedical expertise

Examples

  • 医术。
    Zhè wèi lǎo zhōng yī de yī shù fēi cháng gāo chāo.
    This old Chinese doctor's medical skill is very advanced.
  • 医术。
    Tā huā le hěn duō nián xué xí yī shù.
    He spent many years studying medical skills.
  • 医术。
    Xiàn dài de yī shù yuè lái yuè xiān jìn le.
    Modern medical expertise is becoming more and more advanced.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

医yīmedicine
术shùskill

医 refers to medicine and 术 to skill or art, together meaning medical expertise.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 醫; 医 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
酉酉yǒuliquor
Sound part声符shēngfú
殹
殹yì醫yī
Same sound today

The traditional form 醫 pairs 酉 (liquor) with 殹 as a sound part; the simplified 医 is a shorthand, so its parts are not the historical ones.

Open 医 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 術; 术 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
行行xíngstreet, path
Sound part声符shēngfú
朮
朮zhú術shù
Same sound today

The traditional form 術 has 行 (street, path) beside 朮, which gives the sound; the simplified 术 is a later shorthand.

Open 术 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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