Understanding "医疗" - Chinese Word Explanation

1. Basic Information

• Word: 医疗
• Pinyin: yī liáo
• Literal Meaning: "medical treatment" (医 = medical, 疗 = therapy/treatment)
• Primary Meaning: Refers to medical care, healthcare, or medical treatment in general. It encompasses diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases.

2. In-depth Explanation

Context and Usage

"医疗" is a formal term used broadly to describe medical services, healthcare systems, or medical treatment. It appears in contexts like:
- Healthcare policies (e.g., 医疗保险, yīliáo bǎoxiǎn, "medical insurance")
- Facilities (e.g., 医疗机构, yīliáo jīgòu, "medical institution")
- General discussions about medical care (e.g., 医疗技术, yīliáo jìshù, "medical technology").

Unlike colloquial terms like "看病" (kàn bìng, "see a doctor"), "医疗" is neutral and systemic.

Character Breakdown

• 医 (yī): Means "medical" or "doctor." Derived from ancient Chinese medicine practices.
• 疗 (liáo): Means "therapy" or "treatment." Often used in words like 治疗 (zhìliáo, "to treat").

Together, they emphasize the professional and systematic nature of healthcare.

3. Example Sentences

1. Chinese: 这个国家的医疗系统非常先进。
   Pinyin: Zhège guójiā de yīliáo xìtǒng fēichāng xiānjìn.
   English: This country’s healthcare system is very advanced.

2. Chinese: 政府提高了医疗补贴。
   Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ tígāo le yīliáo bǔtiē.
   English: The government increased medical subsidies.

3. Chinese: 疫情期间，医疗工作者非常忙碌。
   Pinyin: Yìqíng qījiān, yīliáo gōngzuò zhě fēicháng mánglù.
   English: During the pandemic, medical workers were extremely busy.

Cultural Notes

• Healthcare in China: "医疗" reflects China’s emphasis on modernizing healthcare, including universal coverage reforms like 医保 (yībǎo, "basic medical insurance").
• Traditional Influence: While "医疗" refers to modern medicine, traditional Chinese medicine (中医, zhōngyī) coexists under this umbrella.

Conclusion

"医疗" (yī liáo) is a key term for discussing healthcare systems and medical treatment in Chinese. Remember its formal tone and systemic use, and practice with related phrases like 医疗保险 (medical insurance) or 医疗服务 (medical services).