护理

• Pinyin: hù lǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 护 = 扌 (hand) + 户 (door/household) — to guard, protect; 理 = 王 (king/jade) + 里 — to manage, order, reason

Meaning

To nurse; to care for, especially in a medical context. Refers to professional or attentive care for the sick, elderly, or injured.

护理 is the formal term for nursing as a profession — 护理学 means nursing science. Also used more broadly for skincare (皮肤护理) and maintenance of objects or plants.

Examples

1. 她在重症监护室担任护士已有十五年，护理过无数危重病人，积累了丰富的临床经验。 She has worked as a nurse in the intensive care unit for fifteen years, caring for countless critically ill patients and building up extensive clinical experience.
2. 这家养老院的护理团队专业素质高，老人们的日常生活起居都能得到周到细致的照顾。 The nursing team at this senior care facility is highly professional, and the residents’ daily needs are met with thorough, attentive care.
3. 手术后的康复期护理非常关键，稍有不慎就可能引发并发症，延误整体康复进程。 Post-surgery nursing care during recovery is crucial; even a small mistake can lead to complications and delay overall recovery.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, elderly care, rehabilitation

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这名患者术后情况较为复杂，需要由经验丰富的护理团队进行全天候的专业监护，以防止出现感染和其他并发症。(This patient's post-operative condition is relatively complex and requires round-the-clock professional monitoring by an experienced nursing team to prevent infection and other complications.)
• 护理工作不仅需要扎实的医学知识，还需要极大的耐心和同理心，因为护士往往是患者在漫长治疗过程中接触最为频繁的医疗人员。(Nursing requires not only a solid foundation in medical knowledge but also enormous patience and empathy, since nurses are often the healthcare professionals that patients interact with most frequently throughout the long course of treatment.)

Don't Say

• 护理 when meaning 治疗 (medical treatment or therapy) — 护理 focuses on care and monitoring, not diagnosis or active medical intervention

Origin & History

护 (to guard; to protect) + 理 (to manage; to put in order) — to protect and manage someone's health

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal