医疗

• Pinyin: yī liáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 医 = 匸 (container) + 矢 (arrow) + 酉, originally depicting medical tools; 疗 = 疒 (sickness radical) + 了 (finish), to heal or treat

Meaning

Medical care; healthcare. Relates to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.

Used as a noun or attributive adjective. Common in contexts discussing health systems, policy, and facilities: 医疗条件 (healthcare conditions), 医疗设备 (medical equipment), 医疗改革 (healthcare reform). Not the same as 医学 (medicine as an academic field) — 医疗 focuses on practical care and service delivery.

Examples

1. 政府加大投入，努力改善农村地区的医疗条件。 The government is increasing investment and working hard to improve healthcare conditions in rural areas.
2. 这家医院拥有先进的医疗设备和优秀的医疗团队。 This hospital has advanced medical equipment and an excellent medical team.
3. 随着医疗水平的不断提高，很多疾病都可以得到有效治疗了。 With the continuous improvement of medical standards, many diseases can now be treated effectively.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, professional, news

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个地区的医疗资源比较紧张。(Medical resources in this area are relatively strained.)
• 她参加了一个国际医疗援助项目。(She joined an international medical aid programme.)

Don't Say

• 把'医疗'和'医学'混用 (Don't use 医疗 and 医学 interchangeably — 医疗 refers to the delivery of healthcare services, while 医学 is medicine as a field of academic study)

Origin & History

A compound of 医 (medicine/doctor, originally depicting a container of medical arrows) and 疗 (to treat/cure, from 疒 sickness radical + 了 finish). Together they describe the act of medical treatment.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal