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理疗 (lǐ liáo) — physiotherapy

Definition

理疗 (lǐ liáo) is the medical practice of physiotherapy — treatment by physical means (exercise, massage, electrical/heat therapy) rather than drugs. The measure word 次 counts sessions.

noun
physiotherapy
Measure word · 次

Examples

  • 理疗。
    Tā měi zhōu qù zuò lǐ liáo.
    He goes for physiotherapy every week.
  • 理疗。
    Yī shēng jiàn yì tā zuò lǐ liáo zhì liáo.
    The doctor recommended physiotherapy treatment.
  • 理疗。
    lǐ liáo Duì huī fù hěn yǒu bāng zhù.
    Physiotherapy is very helpful for recovery.

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.

理lǐphysical
疗liáotherapy

理 denotes physical and 疗 denotes therapy; the word names physiotherapy.

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
玉玉yùjade
Sound part声符shēngfú
里
里lǐ理lǐ
Same sound today

理 pairs 玉 (jade) with 里, which shows how to say it; the jade part points to the old sense of polishing jade.

Open 理 →

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 療; 疗 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
疒疒nèdisease
Sound part声符shēngfú
尞
尞liáo療liáo
Same sound today

The traditional form 療 has 疒 for disease and 尞 for the sound; the simplified 疗 is a later shorthand, so its visible parts are not the historical ones.

Open 疗 →
Appears in
Medicine & Treatment

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