外科

• Pinyin: wài kē
• Hanzi breakdown: 外 = 夕 (evening) + 卜 (divination); 科 = 禾 (grain) + 斗 (measure)

Meaning

Surgery; surgical department. The medical specialty dealing with operations and surgical procedures.

Refers to both the medical field of surgery and hospital surgery departments. Subdivisions include 心外科 (cardiac surgery), 脑外科 (neurosurgery), 骨外科 (orthopedic surgery). Related terms: 外科医生 (surgeon), 外科手术 (surgical operation). Opposite: 内科 (internal medicine).

Examples

1. 这家医院的外科在全国都很有名。 The surgery department of this hospital is famous throughout the country.
2. 他是一位经验丰富的外科医生，做过上千台手术。 He is an experienced surgeon who has performed over a thousand operations.
3. 外科手术需要非常精细的操作。 Surgical procedures require very precise operations.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, healthcare, hospital

Tone: professional

Do Say

• 请问外科在几楼？(Excuse me, which floor is the surgery department on?)
• 他是外科专家。(He is a surgical specialist.)

Don't Say

• 我想学外科学科 — '外科'本身就是学科，不需要再加'学科'

Origin & History

Compound of 外 (external) + 科 (department, branch). Literally 'external department' — surgery deals with treating conditions through external intervention on the body.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal