医 meaning and stroke order
To cure, to heal, to treat; doctor; medicine
How to write 医, stroke by stroke
7 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Meaning of 医
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- medical
- medicine
- doctor
- to cure
- to treat
How 医 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Arrow.
矢 gives the meaning and 匸 hints at the sound.
Radical: 匸 (box), shared by 8 characters on this site.
How to remember 医
医 is an arrow 矢 (shǐ) tucked inside a box 匸. Picture a doctor pulling an arrow out of a wound and putting it safely in a box, so the patient is healed.
医 (yī) rarely stands alone in modern speech. It mostly appears in words like 医生 (yīshēng, doctor), 医院 (yīyuàn, hospital) and 中医 (zhōngyī, Chinese medicine). Example: 我明天去医院。(Wǒ míngtiān qù yīyuàn.) I am going to the hospital tomorrow.
Common mistake: Learners often write the inside as 失 (shī, to lose) or 天, but it is 矢, with no stroke poking through the top. Also keep the box open on the right side; it is not a closed square like 口.
Common words with 医
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 医生 | yīshēng | doctor; medical practitioner | HSK 1 |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | hospital | HSK 1 |
| 西医 | xīyī | Western medicine; a doctor trained in Western medicine | HSK 2 |
| 中医 | zhōngyī | traditional Chinese medical science; a doctor trained in Chinese medicine | HSK 2 |
| 医疗 | yīliáo | medical treatment | HSK 4 |
| 医学 | yīxué | medicine; medical science | HSK 4 |
| 医药 | yīyào | medical care and medicines; medicine (drug) | HSK 6 |
| 医务 | yīwù | medical affairs | HSK 7-9 |
| 就医 | jiùyī | to receive medical treatment | HSK 7-9 |
| 求医 | qiúyī | to seek medical treatment; to see a doctor | HSK 7-9 |
| 医师 | yīshī | doctor; physician | |
| 牙医 | yáyī | dentist | |
| 法医 | fǎyī | forensic pathologist; forensic doctor; medical examiner | |
| 兽医 | shòuyī | veterinarian; veterinary surgeon |
医 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 医
How many strokes are in 医?
医 is written with 7 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 医 mean?
医 (yī) means to cure, to heal, to treat; doctor; medicine. A common word with it is 医生 (yīshēng), meaning "doctor; medical practitioner".
How do you pronounce 医?
医 is pronounced yī, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 医?
The radical of 医 is 匸, which carries the idea of "box". Dictionaries list 医 under this radical.
What is the traditional form of 医?
The traditional form of 医 is 醫. Traditional characters are used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau; 医 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore.
Is 医 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 医 is part of the HSK 1 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 1.
Can I use 医 by itself to mean doctor?
Usually not. Say 医生 (yīshēng) or the more polite 大夫 (dàifu) in speech. 医 alone appears in set phrases like 看医 or 求医, or as a verb meaning to treat, as in 医好了 (yī hǎo le, cured).
What is the difference between 中医 and 西医?
中医 (zhōngyī) is traditional Chinese medicine, such as herbs and acupuncture, or a doctor who practices it. 西医 (xīyī) is Western medicine or a doctor trained in it. Many Chinese hospitals offer both.