从医 (cóng yī) — to work as a doctor

Definition

从医 (cóngyī) means 'to work as a doctor / practise medicine' as a career choice. The verb 从 pairs with a profession noun to mean 'to go into / work in' that field (cf. 从军, 从教).

verb
to work as a doctor
Easily confused

Examples

  • 从医。
    Tā dà xué bì yè hòu jiù xuǎn zé cóng yī le.
    He chose to work as a doctor after graduating from university.
  • 从医，。
    Tā cóng yī duō nián, jīng yàn fēi cháng fēng fù.
    She has worked as a doctor for many years and is very experienced.
  • 从医。
    cóng yī Xū yào hěn dà de nài xīn hé zé rèn xīn.
    Working as a doctor requires great patience and a sense of responsibility.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

从cóngfollow
医yīmedicine

从 gives follow or practice, 医 gives medicine; together practice medicine.

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 從; 从 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
辵辵chuòwalk
Sound part声符shēngfú
从
从cóng從cóng
Same sound today

The traditional form 從 pairs 辵 (walk) with 从, which gives the sound; the character was originally written 从.

Open 从 →

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 →

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