临床

• Pinyin: lín chuáng
• Hanzi breakdown: 临 = 臣 + 品 (to approach/face — looking down, attending to something); 床 = 广 + 木 (bed — a wooden surface under a roof)

Meaning

Clinical; relating to direct patient care and treatment. Describes medical practice, research, or training that involves direct interaction with patients.

A key term in medical and healthcare contexts. 临床医学 (clinical medicine) refers to the application of medicine directly to patients, as opposed to laboratory or theoretical research. 临床经验 (clinical experience) is a core requirement in medical training. Used in hospital settings, medical education, pharmaceutical research, and health policy discussions.

Examples

1. 该新药已完成三期临床试验，数据显示其在治疗耐药性肺结核方面具有显著疗效。 The new drug has completed Phase III clinical trials, and the data show significant effectiveness in treating drug-resistant tuberculosis.
2. 年轻医生在导师的带领下参与临床实习，积累了处理复杂病例的实际经验。 Under a mentor’s guidance, young doctors take part in clinical training, gaining hands-on experience in handling complex cases.
3. 临床数据表明，该疗法对早期患者的治愈率远高于传统方案。 Clinical data show that this therapy’s cure rate for early-stage patients is much higher than that of traditional approaches.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, medical education, pharmaceutical research, healthcare policy

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 这项临床研究历时五年，共纳入逾三千名患者，研究结果已在权威医学期刊发表。(This clinical study lasted five years and enrolled over three thousand patients — the findings have been published in authoritative medical journals.)
• 医学院要求所有学生在正式执业前必须完成至少两年的临床实习培训。(Medical schools require all students to complete at least two years of clinical internship training before formally entering practice.)

Don't Say

• 将'临床'泛化为所有医学活动 — '临床'特指直接面对病患的诊疗实践，基础研究或实验室研究不属于'临床'范畴

Origin & History

临 (to face/to be at — approaching or attending to something directly) + 床 (bed — the patient's bed, representing the site of direct medical care)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal