医生

• Pinyin: yī shēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 医 = 匸 (container) + 矢 (arrow) — originally depicted medical tools in a box; 生 = pictograph of a plant growing from the ground

Meaning

Doctor; physician. A trained medical professional who diagnoses and treats illness.

The standard, everyday term for a medical doctor in Mainland China. Used for both general practitioners and specialists. The polite form of address is 大夫 (dàifu) in northern dialects, but 医生 is universally understood.

Examples

1. 我去医院看医生。 I went to the hospital to see a doctor.
2. 医生说我需要多休息。 The doctor said I need more rest.
3. 他的妈妈是一位医生。 His mother is a doctor.

Usage Guide

Context: health, everyday, formal

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 我需要看医生。(I need to see a doctor.)
• 医生，我头很疼。(Doctor, I have a bad headache.)

Don't Say

• 不要直接叫医生的名字而不加称谓。(Don't address a doctor by first name without a title — use 张医生 or simply 医生 as a respectful form of address)

Origin & History

医 (medicine/heal) + 生 (scholar/professional). 生 here carries the sense of 'a learned person', similar to its use in 学生 (student) and 先生 (teacher/Mr.).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal