ngoi6 fo1外科
Jyutpingngoi6 fo1
Yalengoih fō
Definition
Surgery; the surgical department or branch of clinical medicine that treats diseases and injuries by operative procedures.
neutralhealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to the medical department dealing with physical trauma or operations, distinguishing it from internal medicine known as 內科. It is standard to pair this with 醫生 to refer to the practitioner, or with 房 to refer to the ward. In casual speech, people often just say 去睇外科 when describing a visit to a hospital specialist.
Examples
He hurt his foot and needs to go to the surgical department to get it checked.
Do you know what time the surgeon starts work?
Related words
Common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse this with general medical clinics. Remember that it strictly implies a surgical focus, so it is inappropriate to use when visiting a doctor for common illnesses like a cold or fever, which would fall under 內科 or 普通科.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
