医院

• Pinyin: yī yuàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 医 = medical/heal; 院 = 阝(mound/wall) + 完 (complete) — originally depicted a walled compound

Meaning

Hospital. A medical institution where patients receive treatment and care.

The standard word for hospital in Mainland Chinese. Used for both public and private hospitals. The measure word is 家 (jiā). Clinics or small outpatient centres may be called 诊所 (zhěnsuǒ).

Examples

1. 他昨天去医院检查了。 He went to the hospital for a check-up yesterday.
2. 这家医院很大，有很多医生。 This hospital is very large and has many doctors.
3. 请问最近的医院在哪里？ Excuse me, where is the nearest hospital?

Usage Guide

Context: health, everyday, emergency

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我要去医院。(I need to go to the hospital.)
• 请送我去医院！(Please take me to the hospital!)

Don't Say

• 不要把'医院'和'诊所'混用。(Don't use 医院 and 诊所 interchangeably — 医院 is a full hospital, 诊所 is a small clinic)

Origin & History

医 (medicine) + 院 (courtyard/institution). 院 is used in Chinese for institutions organised around a courtyard, such as 学院 (academy) and 法院 (court).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal