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救死扶伤 (jiù sǐ-fú shāng) — to rescue the dying and heal the injured; (idiom) the humanitarian duty of medical workers

Definition

A four-character idiom praising the humanitarian mission of doctors and medical workers. Used in formal writing (hospital mottos, official statements) rather than everyday speech.

phrase
to rescue the dying and heal the injured(idiom) the humanitarian duty of medical workers

Examples

  • ，救死扶伤。
    Zuò wéi yì míng yī shēng, jiù sǐ-fú shāng shì tā de zhí zé.
    As a doctor, it is his duty to rescue the dying and heal the injured.
  • 救死扶伤，。
    Zhè jiā yī yuàn yǐ jiù sǐ-fú shāng wèi zōng zhǐ, jiù zhì le wú shù bìng rén.
    This hospital takes rescuing the dying and healing the injured as its mission, treating countless patients.
  • ，救死扶伤。
    Zài zhàn zhēng nián dài, jiù sǐ-fú shāng de jīng shén gèng jiā kě guì.
    In times of war, the spirit of rescuing the dying and healing the injured is even more precious.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéCoordinate

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

救死save the dying
救jiùsave死sǐdying
动宾Verb + object
扶伤support the injured
扶fúsupport伤shānginjured
动宾Verb + object

救 saves the 死 and 扶 helps the 伤, two parallel acts of care.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
攴攴pū
Sound part声符shēngfú
求
求qiú救jiù
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 救, 求 gives the sound, and 攴 is the action part.

Open 救 →

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
歹歹dǎi
Sound part声符shēngfú
尸
尸shī死sǐ
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

死 is built from 歹 and 尸: 歹 is the part tied to the meaning, and 尸 gives the sound.

Open 死 →

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
扌Written in full as手shǒu
Sound part声符shēngfú
夫
夫fū扶fú
Same sound today

The left part 扌 is a hand, matching actions like helping or supporting. The right part 夫 gives the sound fū.

Open 扶 →

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 傷; 伤 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
人人rén
Sound part声符shēngfú
𥏻
𥏻𥏻傷shāng
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 傷 shows 人, a person, and uses 𥏻 to give the sound; the simplified 伤 is a later shorthand.

Open 伤 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 7-9Idioms & Set PhrasesMedicine & Treatment

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.