can2 liu4診療诊疗
Jyutpingcan2 liu4
Yalechán lìuh
Definition
To diagnose and treat a patient's illness.
writtenhealth
How it's used
This term is formal and primarily appears in medical contexts, such as on hospital signage or in official correspondence. In everyday spoken Cantonese, people almost always use 睇醫生 to describe the act of seeing a doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Using 診療 in casual conversation can sound overly clinical or like you are reading from a medical report.
Examples
The doctor spent a long time diagnosing and treating him.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often mistake this for a general term for visiting a doctor, but it specifically emphasizes the professional process of medical examination and treatment. Avoid using it to describe the simple act of going to a clinic for a minor checkup, as it implies a more serious or structured medical intervention.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
