医院

• Reading: いいん
• Romaji: iin
• Kanji breakdown: 医 (i) — medicine, doctor; 院 (in) — institution, building
• Pronunciation: /iː.n/

Meaning

Clinic; doctor's office; small medical practice.

A noun referring to a small medical facility, typically a private practice run by one doctor. Distinguished from 病院 (byouin, hospital), which is larger with multiple departments. Common in compound names like 田中医院 (Tanaka Clinic). Most neighbourhoods in Japan have several 医院 for everyday medical needs.

Examples

1. 近くの医院で風邪を診てもらった。 She was chosen to be on the school festival organizing committee.
2. あの医院は評判がいいらしい。 The committee meeting is held every Monday.
3. 歯科医院の予約を取りたい。 We held a vote to decide the class representative.

Usage Guide

Context: healthcare, daily life, directions

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 医 (medicine, doctor) and 院 (institution, building). Denotes a medical institution smaller in scale than a 病院 (hospital).

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal