Chinese word

外科

Pronunciation

Pinyinwài kē

Meaning

  • nounsurgery

Example

他在医院的外科工作。tā zài yī yuàn de wài kē gōng zuò

He works in surgery at the hospital.

Illustration for 外科 (surgery)

More examples

病人被转到外科接受手术。bìng rén bèi zhuǎn dào wài kē jiē shòu shǒu shù

The patient was transferred to the surgery department for an operation.

Core concept

A medical specialty that handles problems needing direct physical treatment, especially cutting, removal, or repair.

Common phrases

  • 外科医生wài kē yī shēng

    surgeon

  • 外科手术wài kē shǒu shù

    surgery

  • 心脏外科xīn zàng wài kē

    cardiac surgery

Similar words

内科nèi kē: A hospital department that diagnoses and treats internal diseases mainly with tests and medicine.
手术shǒu shù: A surgical procedure that treats an illness or injury by cutting or otherwise working on the body.
医生yī shēng: A medical professional who examines, diagnoses, and treats people who are ill or injured.

Definition in Chinese

医院中以手术和外科治疗为主，负责对创伤、肿块以及需要通过切开或切除处理的疾病进行诊治的临床科室。yī yuàn zhōng yǐ shǒu shù hé wài kē zhì liáo wéi zhǔ fù zé duì chuāng shāng zhǒng kuài yǐ jí xū yào tōng guò qiē kāi huò qiē chú chú lǐ de jí bìng jìn xíng zhěn zhì de lín chuáng kē shì

Word origin

外 (wài, "outside") + 科 (kē, "medical specialty") names the medical branch that historically stood apart from internal medicine and became associated with operative treatment.

Usage tips

  • English uses surgery for both a medical field and an operation, while Chinese commonly uses 外科 (wàikē, "surgery") for the hospital department, a distinction that helps interpret signs and referrals.

Opposites

Related words

  • 外科医生wài kē yī shēngsurgeonnoun
  • 外科手术wài kē shǒu shùsurgical procedurenoun
  • 心脏外科xīn zàng wài kēcardiac surgerynoun

Word lists with this word