Skip to content
Kotomora

医

doctor, medicine

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 3FrequencyTop 500Strokes7

Readings

On'yomi

  • イ

Kun'yomi

  • い.やす
  • い.する
  • くすし

Meaning

医 centers on the practice of healing: a doctor who treats illness and the medicine used to cure. The two meanings are tightly linked as the person and the substance of medical care.

Most common words using 医

24 of 505
  • 医療いりょう
    N2

    medical treatment; medical care

  • 医師いし
    N3

    doctor; physician

  • 医い

    medicine; the healing art; healing; curing

  • 医者いしゃ
    N5

    doctor; physician

  • 医学いがく
    N4

    medicine; medical science

  • 医薬品いやくひん
    N1

    medical and pharmaceutical products; medicinal supplies; drugs; pharmaceuticals; medicine

  • 歯医者はいしゃ
    N5

    dentist

  • 医学部いがくぶ
    N3

    faculty of medicine; college of medicine; department of medicine; school of medicine; medical school

  • 医院いいん

    doctor's office; doctor's surgery; clinic

  • 獣医じゅうい

    veterinarian; veterinary surgeon; vet

  • 女医じょい

    female doctor

  • 医薬いやく

    medicine; (pharmaceutical) drug; medical treatment

  • 専門医せんもんい

    (medical) specialist

  • 主治医しゅじい

    doctor chiefly responsible for a patient's care; doctor in charge (of a patient); attending physician

  • 医大いだい

    medical university; medical college; medical school

  • 医科いか

    medical science; medical department

  • 法医学ほういがく

    forensic medicine; forensic pathology

  • 軍医ぐんい

    military physician or surgeon

  • 医局いきょく

    medical office (esp. in a hospital); doctor's office

  • 開業医かいぎょうい

    private clinician; physician in private practice

  • 侍医じい

    court physician

  • 医長いちょう

    medical director; chief physician

  • 医師会いしかい

    medical association

  • 歯科医師しかいし

    dentist

Explore all words using 医 →

Study

Etymology

医 is the modern simplified form of 醫. The older form combines 匚 (a container) with 殹, which likely contributed the sound and the idea of medical treatment. The modern 矢 inside 匚 is a simplification that does not carry the original component meaning.

Meaning mnemonic

Picture a doctor's bag (匚) holding a medical arrow (矢) used like a syringe. The bag contains the tools of medicine, so 医 means doctor and medicine.

Reading mnemonic

For イ, imagine an eagle (イーグル) doctor wearing a white coat and treating patients. The 'e' sound of eagle cues イ, and the doctor ties back to the meaning.