# 中药/中医,  西药/西医



## Geysere

Hi all,

I've been puzzled by this for quite a long time: How do you differentiate the following concepts in English? 中药/中医 and 西药/西医
I've seen "traditional Chinese medicine" translated both as 中药 and 中医(which I doubted ) and also "traditional Chinese medical science" for 中医, but for 中医 in the sense of the doctor, would it be "traditional Chinese medicine doctor", "doctor/practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine" or just "CM doctor"? And for 西医 would it be "Western medicine" or "Western medication" or "Western medical science", and what do we call the corresponding doctor? In all cases, I'm looking for the most concise way to express the idea. Thanks for any opinion on that!


----------



## DernierVirage

In Hong Kong, we (or at least all the people I know, both Chinese and foreigners) just say "Chinese doctor" or "Western doctor", which refers to their area of expertise and not to their nationality!

As for the subject matter, I would say that "traditional Chinese medecine" and "Western medecine" are the usual terms to use.


----------



## Jerry Chan

I think in HK 醫生/西醫 is a doctor. We don't need to specify it as "Western."
中醫師, on the hand, is a Chinese medicine practitioner. Technically they're not doctors.


----------



## DernierVirage

Jerry Chan said:


> I think in HK 醫生/西醫 is a doctor. We don't need to specify it as "Western."
> 中醫師, on the hand, is a Chinese medicine practitioner. Technically they're not doctors.


 
Very useful to read what you say, it seems a little bit different from what I usually hear (not that I am doubting you of course ). 

Just as an example, one of my best friends always says simply "my doctor" when referring to the Chinese practitioner and "my Western doctor" (who is also Chinese, as it happens) when talking about Western treatment....That said, it is not a subject that comes up in conversation every day !


----------



## Jerry Chan

Just like dentists. They're not technically doctors but we still call them "doctors." (Hope I'm not offending anyone here )

Don't know about your situation, but when we talk about a doctor, it's most likely understood as one practising Western medicine.

For example, you may hear this in the everyday life here:
A: Are you ok? You need to see a doctor. (你沒事吧? 趕緊去看醫生啊)
B: I already did. The medicine is not working. (早看了. 吃了藥都沒用)
A: Really? Why don't you try some Chinese medicine? (是嗎? 嘗嘗中藥吧)


----------



## DernierVirage

Jerry Chan said:


> Just like dentists. They're not technically doctors but we still call them "doctors." (Hope I'm not offending anyone here )
> 
> Don't know about your situation, but when we talk about a doctor, it's most likely understood as one practising Western medicine.
> 
> For example, you may hear this in the everyday life here:
> A: Are you ok? You need to see a doctor. (你沒事吧? 趕緊去看醫生啊)
> B: I already did. The medicine is not working. (早看了. 吃了藥都沒用)
> A: Really? Why don't you try some Chinese medicine? (是嗎? 嘗嘗中藥吧)


 
With family and friends here, it's the exact opposite to your example - replace "Chinese" by Western" and you have what I hear


----------



## Jerry Chan

DernierVirage said:


> With family and friends here, it's the exact opposite to your example - replace "Chinese" by Western" and you have what I hear



This is interesting! Let's hear what other Hongkongers have to say.


----------



## BODYholic

Geysere said:


> and also "traditional Chinese medical science" for 中医, but for 中医 in the sense of the doctor, would it be "traditional Chinese medicine doctor", "doctor/practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine" or just "CM doctor"?



This reminds me of a recent thread where someone thought that 备忘 is 准备忘记.

TCM Science is 中医 but here, it is referring 医术/学.
TCM doctor is also 中医. 医 in this case, means 医生/师.


----------



## Geysere

So we don't distinguish 中医(术) and 中药, just call them both traditional Chinese medicine? If I want to say 他用中医(的手段)治好了我,and I mean without any 汤药 or 敷药, just using 按摩,针灸etc., then should I say "He cured me with traditional Chinese medicine"? That just doesn't sound right to me...


----------



## Razzle Storm

Geysere said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I've been puzzled by this for quite a long time: How do you differentiate the following concepts in English? 中药/中医 and 西药/西医
> I've seen "traditional Chinese medicine" translated both as 中药 and 中医(which I doubted ) and also "traditional Chinese medical science" for 中医, but for 中医 in the sense of the doctor, would it be "traditional Chinese medicine doctor", "doctor/practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine" or just "CM doctor"? And for 西医 would it be "Western medicine" or "Western medication" or "Western medical science", and what do we call the corresponding doctor? In all cases, I'm looking for the most concise way to express the idea. Thanks for any opinion on that!



In the American medical world, 中药 and 中医 both get translated as Traditional Chinese Medicine. The "TCM" term does not distinguish between herbal medicine and other forms of treatment, such as acupuncture, cupping, etc. If you want to make that distinction, you typically just say the name of the treatment used. If you're referring to the person who practices TCM, it's typically "practitioner of (Traditional) Chinese Medicine". 

Western medicine is fine for an overarching term of the medical profession. If you want something that corresponds to "herbal medicine", you could say "Western medication", but "pills" would make the distinction of what type of medication you were using. Typically saying "prescription" is fine as well. From a Westerner's point of view, a "Western doctor" is simply a "doctor". The only way you differentiate "Western" doctors is based on the profession (surgeon, internist, etc). 

That's what I've seen used in the profession, as a medical interpreter. I hope that helps? I don't know if I've made anything more "concise" than what you've already posted.



			
				Geysere said:
			
		

> So we don't distinguish 中医(术) and 中药, just call them both traditional Chinese medicine? If I want to say 他用中医(的手段)治好了我,and I mean without any 汤药 or 敷药, just using 按摩,针灸etc., then should I say "He cured me with traditional Chinese medicine"? That just doesn't sound right to me...



You would probably say, "He cured my 什么病 using acupuncture (or massage, or cupping, etc)."


----------



## samanthalee

Geysere said:


> So we don't distinguish 中医(术) and 中药, just call them both traditional Chinese medicine? If I want to say 他用中医(的手段)治好了我,and I mean without any 汤药 or 敷药, just using 按摩,针灸etc., then should I say "He cured me with traditional Chinese medicine"? That just doesn't sound right to me...



Yup, that is correct, we don't distinguish 中医(术) and 中药, nor 西医(术) and 西药. If I say 我是通过西医被治好的, all you can deduced is that I was cured via Western medical/health treatment, you won't know whether it's by medication or by physiotherapy.


----------



## tinang

我認為"中醫" / "西醫" 並不完全等於醫生, 只是口語上的習慣.

至於有無註明 "chinese" / "western" , 大概是看閣下所在的地區, 那一種醫術是主流或先存在的, 要分別兩者, 後來者必需註明.

至於香港, 大概因為早年中醫未有監管, 不可以算是" doctor", 但現在已有制度, 也有執業資格, 才會有"doctor". 因為醫生需要有執業資格, "doctor"這字有點嚴格.


----------



## Dorothea01

BODYholic said:


> This reminds me of a recent thread where someone thought that 备忘 is 准备忘记.
> 
> TCM Science is 中医 but here, it is referring 医术/学.
> TCM doctor is also 中医. 医 in this case, means 医生/师.


中医是医术


----------



## BODYholic

Dorothea01 said:


> 中医是医术



中医的"医"是指医术或医生得视语境而定。
您断章取义了。


----------



## Yuk

Razzle Storm said:


> In the American medical world, 中药 and 中医 both get translated as Traditional Chinese Medicine. The "TCM" term does not distinguish between herbal medicine and other forms of treatment, such as acupuncture, cupping, etc. If you want to make that distinction, you typically just say the name of the treatment used. If you're referring to the person who practices TCM, it's typically "practitioner of (Traditional) Chinese Medicine".
> 
> Western medicine is fine for an overarching term of the medical profession. If you want something that corresponds to "herbal medicine", you could say "Western medication", but "pills" would make the distinction of what type of medication you were using. Typically saying "prescription" is fine as well. From a Westerner's point of view, a "Western doctor" is simply a "doctor". The only way you differentiate "Western" doctors is based on the profession (surgeon, internist, etc).
> 
> That's what I've seen used in the profession, as a medical interpreter. I hope that helps? I don't know if I've made anything more "concise" than what you've already posted.
> 
> 
> You would probably say, "He cured my 什么病 using acupuncture (or massage, or cupping, etc)."



Simply speak, the Chinese doctor mostly uses herbal medicine, while the Western doctor usually use pill. I think this is the distinction.


----------

