西医 meaning in English
Western medicine; a doctor trained in Western medicine
Meaning of 西医
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- Western medicine
- a doctor trained in Western medicine
How to use 西医
西医 can mean the system of Western medicine or a doctor trained in it. It is often contrasted with 中医 (zhōngyī), traditional Chinese medicine. Example: 我感冒了，想看西医。(Wǒ gǎnmào le, xiǎng kàn xīyī.) I have a cold and want to see a Western doctor.
西 (xī) means west, as in 西方 (xīfāng) the West, and 医 (yī) means medicine or doctor, as in 医生 (yīshēng). Put them together and you get medicine from the West.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 西药 (xīyào) when they mean 西医. 西药 is Western medicine in the sense of drugs or pills, while 西医 is the medical system or the doctor.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
西 xī · west · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
医 yī · to cure · 7 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Related words
Words that share a character with 西医.
| 东西 | dōngxi | east and west |
| 医生 | yīshēng | doctor; medical practitioner |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | hospital |
| 西边 | xībian | west; west side |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West; the Occident |
| 西北 | xīběi | northwest |
| 西南 | xīnán | southwest |
| 西餐 | xīcān | Western-style food |
| 中医 | zhōngyī | traditional Chinese medical science; a doctor trained in Chinese medicine |
| 西部 | xībù | western part |
| 医疗 | yīliáo | medical treatment |
| 医学 | yīxué | medicine; medical science |
Questions about 西医
What does 西医 mean?
西医 (xīyī) means "Western medicine; a doctor trained in Western medicine" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 西医?
西医 is made of 2 characters: 西 (6 strokes), 医 (7 strokes). That is 13 strokes in total.
Is 西医 an HSK word?
Yes. 西医 is on the HSK 2 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 西医 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 西医 is written 西醫.
What is the difference between 西医 and 中医?
西医 (xīyī) is Western medicine, based on modern science, tests and drugs. 中医 (zhōngyī) is traditional Chinese medicine, which uses herbs, acupuncture and pulse diagnosis. Many Chinese hospitals offer both.
How do you say "see a doctor" with 西医?
Use the verb 看 (kàn): 看西医 (kàn xīyī) means to see a Western doctor. In the same way, 看中医 (kàn zhōngyī) means to see a Chinese medicine doctor.