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医药 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
医药yīyàomedical care and medicinesHSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #9449, Hard
医药yīyàomedicine (drug)HSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #9449, Hard
医药yīyàomedicalHSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #9449, Hard
医药yīyàopharmaceuticalHSK 6, unknown, 16 strokes, rank #9449, Hard
yīyào(yi1yao4)yi yao T1
  1. 1medical care and medicines
  2. 2medicine (drug)
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March 24, 2026

医药(醫藥)yīyào(yi1yao4)

医药 (yīyào) refers to the field of medicine encompassing both medical care and pharmaceuticals. It is commonly used in contexts related to healthcare, discussions about medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. The term reflects the holistic approach to health and treatment, combining both the practice of medicine and the substances used to treat illness.

Strokes16Frequency#9449DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, traditional medicine, alongside modern pharmaceuticals, plays a significant role in healthcare. The term 医药 reflects this duality, highlighting the importance of both modern and traditional healing practices in managing health.

Memory Tip

Think of 医 (yī) as a doctor with a stethoscope, symbolizing medical care, and 药 (yào) resembling a pill bottle, representing medicine. Together, they form the image of a healthcare professional administering drugs, making it easier to remember their combined significance in the medical field.

Meanings of 医药

yīyào(yi1yao4)
1medical care and medicines
2medicine (drug)
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About 医药

医药Simplified
醫藥Traditional
16Strokes
—Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L6IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1

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Podcast: 医药

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AI Study Notes for 医药

Quick Contrast

药品 (yàopǐn) refers specifically to pharmaceutical products, while 医药 (yīyào) encompasses both medical practices and pharmaceuticals.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 医药 with just 药 (yào), which means 'medicine' alone. 医药 is more formal and is often used in professional or academic contexts, whereas 药 can be used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 医药行业 (yīyào hángyè - pharmaceutical industry) and 医药费 (yīyào fèi - medical expenses).

HSK Study Tips

Although 医药 is not explicitly listed in HSK levels, it connects well with health-related vocabulary you may encounter in HSK 3 and 4. Focus on understanding how it relates to other words like 医生 (yīshēng - doctor) and 药品 (yàopǐn - medicine).

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 医 (doctor) without the context of 药 (medicine), leading to phrases like 医行业 (yī hángyè - doctor industry) instead of 医药行业 (yīyào hángyè - pharmaceutical industry). Always remember to use the complete term 医药 when discussing the medical field.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 医药

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Component Characters

医yīmedical
HSK 27 strokes匸
View full entry
药yàoleaf of the iris
HSK 29 strokes艹
View full entry

How to say medical care and medicines in Chinese

“medical care and medicines” in Chinese is医药yīyào

医药 (yīyào) refers to the field of medicine encompassing both medical care and pharmaceuticals. It is commonly used in contexts related to healthcare, discussions about medicine, and the pharmaceutical industry. The term reflects the holistic approach to health and treatment, combining both the practice of medicine and the substances used to treat illness.

When to use 医药

Be careful not to confuse 医药 with just 药 (yào), which means 'medicine' alone. 医药 is more formal and is often used in professional or academic contexts, whereas 药 can be used in everyday conversation. Common collocations include 医药行业 (yīyào hángyè - pharmaceutical industry) and 医药费 (yīyào fèi - medical expenses).

医药 or something close to it

药品 (yàopǐn) refers specifically to pharmaceutical products, while 医药 (yīyào) encompasses both medical practices and pharmaceuticals.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 医 (doctor) without the context of 药 (medicine), leading to phrases like 医行业 (yī hángyè - doctor industry) instead of 医药行业 (yīyào hángyè - pharmaceutical industry). Always remember to use the complete term 医药 when discussing the medical field.

Write 医药

医
药

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Frequently Asked Questions about 医药

医 refers to the practice of medicine or the medical profession, while 药 specifically refers to the medicine or drugs themselves.

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