手术

• Pinyin: shǒu shù
• Hanzi breakdown: 手 = pictograph of a hand with five fingers; 术 = simplified from 術, originally depicting a path through grain, meaning skill or method

Meaning

Surgery; surgical operation. A medical procedure involving cutting into the body.

Refers to any medical surgical procedure, from minor outpatient procedures to major operations. Commonly used with the verb 做 (to perform). Can also modify other nouns as in 手术室 (operating room) or 手术台 (operating table).

Examples

1. 医生说他需要做一个小手术。 The doctor said he needs to have a minor surgery.
2. 手术进行得很顺利，请大家放心。 The surgery went very smoothly; please don't worry.
3. 她做完手术以后需要休息两个星期。 She needs to rest for two weeks after the surgery.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, health

Tone: serious

Do Say

• 这个手术的成功率很高，不用太担心。(The success rate of this surgery is very high; don't worry too much.)
• 他上个月刚做了一个心脏手术。(He just had heart surgery last month.)

Don't Say

• 我要去手术一下我的头发。(Don't use 手术 for non-medical procedures — use 剪 for a haircut. 手术 is strictly medical.)

Origin & History

Compound of 手 (hand) and 术 (technique, art), literally 'hand technique' — referring to the surgeon's manual skill.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal