医生 (yī shēng) — doctor | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Standard word for 'doctor.' 大夫 (dài fu) means the same and is also common; 医生 is slightly more formal. Use 看医生 (see a doctor) rather than 看先生.

noun

doctor

Measure word · 个, 位, 名

Easily confused

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yīmedical care

医 means medical care, and 生 names a person, together pointing to someone who practices 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 醫; 医 is its simplified writing.

殹酉醫

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.

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

Appears in