zing1 san4 fo1精神科
Jyutpingzing1 san4 fo1
Yalejīng sàhn fō
Definition
Psychiatry; the medical specialty focused on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of mental health disorders.
neutralhealth
How it's used
Refers specifically to the medical specialty or the hospital department rather than the mental state itself. When talking about the doctor, use 精神科醫生 instead of just 精神科. It is often used in the context of seeking professional help for mental health issues, carrying a neutral and clinical tone.
Examples
They have been very unhappy lately, should they see a psychiatrist?
The psychiatry department at this hospital is very famous, many people go there to queue.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using 精神科 to describe a person who is mentally ill, as that is offensive and grammatically incorrect. It is strictly a field of medicine or a department name.
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.
