医学

• Reading: いがく
• Romaji: igaku
• Kanji breakdown: 医 (i) — doctor, medicine; 学 (gaku) — study, learning
• Pronunciation: /i.ɡa.kɯ/

Meaning

Medical science; medicine as an academic field of study.

A noun referring to the academic discipline of medicine, not medical treatment itself. Used when talking about studying medicine (医学を勉強する), medical school (医学部), or advances in medical research. Distinct from 医療 (medical care/treatment) which focuses on the practice rather than the science.

Examples

1. 兄は大学で医学を勉強しています。 My older brother is studying medicine at university.
2. 医学の進歩のおかげで多くの病気が治るようになりました。 Thanks to advances in medical science, many diseases can now be cured.
3. 将来は医学の研究者になりたいです。 I want to become a medical researcher in the future.

Usage Guide

Context: education, healthcare, science

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Combines 医 (medicine/doctor) and 学 (study/learning). A Sino-Japanese compound reflecting the systematic academic study of medicine, paralleling other 学-compounds like 科学 (science) and 文学 (literature).

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal