医学

• Pinyin: yī xué
• Hanzi breakdown: 医 = medicine, doctor; 学 = to study or learn

Meaning

Medicine; medical science. The academic and scientific study of the human body, disease, and treatment.

Refers to medicine as a discipline (学医 — to study medicine, 医学院 — medical school). Encompasses both 中医 (traditional Chinese medicine) and 西医 (Western medicine). Used in academic and formal contexts: 医学研究 (medical research), 医学进步 (advances in medicine), 医学伦理 (medical ethics).

Examples

1. 她从小就立志学习医学，将来成为一名医生。 She has wanted to study medicine since childhood, with the goal of becoming a doctor.
2. 现代医学在肿瘤治疗方面取得了很大的进步。 Modern medicine has made great progress in the treatment of tumours.
3. 中医和西医是医学领域的两个重要组成部分。 Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine are two important components of the medical field.

Usage Guide

Context: academic, medical

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 他考上了医学院，打算专攻外科。(He got into medical school and plans to specialise in surgery.)
• 这项医学研究对治疗癌症有重要意义。(This medical research has important implications for treating cancer.)

Don't Say

• 用'医学'指日常的医疗服务或看诊 (Don't use 医学 to refer to routine medical care or a doctor's visit — 医学 is the field of medicine, while 医疗 or 看病 refers to receiving medical attention)

Origin & History

A compound of 医 (medicine/doctor) and 学 (to study/learning). Together they denote the study of medicine as a discipline.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal