治疗

• Pinyin: zhì liáo
• Hanzi breakdown: 治 = 氵+ 台, to regulate/cure; 疗 = 疒 (illness radical) + 了 (complete), to heal an illness

Meaning

To treat (medically); treatment. The process of applying medical care to cure or manage a disease or injury.

Used as both a verb and a noun. 接受治疗 (to receive treatment), 治疗方案 (treatment plan), 化疗 (chemotherapy, short for 化学治疗). 治疗 focuses on the process of medical intervention, distinguishing it from 治愈 (to cure completely) which implies a successful outcome.

Examples

1. 医生建议他住院治疗，以便得到更好的护理。 The doctor advised him to be hospitalised for treatment in order to receive better care.
2. 这种疾病的治疗需要持续至少六个月。 Treatment for this condition needs to continue for at least six months.
3. 心理治疗越来越受到人们的重视，不再是禁忌话题。 Psychological therapy is receiving increasing attention and is no longer a taboo topic.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, health, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这家医院有很先进的癌症治疗技术。(This hospital has very advanced cancer treatment technology.)
• 及早治疗可以避免病情进一步恶化。(Early treatment can prevent the condition from worsening further.)

Don't Say

• 把'治疗'用于非医疗问题（例如'治疗一个坏习惯'） (Don't use 治疗 for non-medical issues like bad habits — use 改正 or 克服 for behaviour; 治疗 is specifically for medical or psychological intervention)

Origin & History

From 治 (to manage/cure) and 疗 (to heal, 疒 illness radical + 了 finish), together meaning 'to work to bring an illness to an end'.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal