内科

• Pinyin: nèi kē
• Hanzi breakdown: 内 = 冂 (enclosure) + 入 (enter) — inside; 科 = 禾 (grain) + 斗 (measure) — a classified branch or department

Meaning

Internal medicine; the department of a hospital that diagnoses and treats diseases of internal organs without surgery.

Refers to the medical specialty dealing with non-surgical treatment of diseases affecting internal organs, as well as the corresponding hospital department. Common collocations include 内科医生 (internist), 内科门诊 (internal medicine outpatient clinic). Contrasts with 外科 (surgery). In Chinese hospitals, patients typically choose between 内科 and 外科 when registering.

Examples

1. 他感觉身体不舒服，去医院的内科看了看。 He felt unwell and went to the internal medicine department at the hospital.
2. 内科的张医生经验很丰富，很多病人都信任他。 Dr Zhang in internal medicine is very experienced, and many patients trust him.
3. 这种病应该先挂内科，不需要做手术。 For this kind of illness, you should register with internal medicine first — surgery isn't needed.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, hospital

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 我明天要去内科复查一下。(I need to go to the internal medicine department for a follow-up tomorrow.)
• 她是内科的主任医师。(She is the chief physician of the internal medicine department.)

Don't Say

• 我的内科不好 (Don't use 内科 to describe your internal health — it refers to the hospital department, not a body condition; say 我内脏不好 or specify the organ)

Origin & History

A compound of 内 (inside/internal) and 科 (department/branch of study) — the branch of medicine dealing with internal conditions.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal