医德 (yī dé) — medical ethics, professional morality of healthcare workers

Definition

Medical ethics — the moral standards healthcare workers are expected to uphold. Refers specifically to professional conduct in medicine, not general morality.

noun
medical ethics, professional morality of healthcare workers

Examples

  • ,医德。
    Zuò wéi yì míng yī shēng, yī dé shì zuì zhòng yào de zhí yè sù yǎng.
    As a doctor, medical ethics are the most important professional quality.
  • 医德,。
    Yī yuàn dìng qī kāi zhǎn yī dé péi xùn, tí gāo yī hù rén yuán de zé rèn gǎn.
    The hospital regularly conducts medical ethics training to enhance the sense of responsibility among medical staff.
  • 医德,。
    Zhè wèi lǎo yī shēng yì shēng jiān shǒu yī dé, shēn shòu huàn zhě zūn jìng.
    This veteran doctor adhered to medical ethics throughout his life and was deeply respected by patients.

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
德dévirtue

医 refers to medicine and 德 to virtue, giving medical ethics.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
彳彳chìroad
Sound part声符shēngfú
惪
惪dé德dé
Same sound today

德 combines 彳, a road, with 惪, a component meaning virtue that also supplies the sound.

Open 德 →

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