====== kāi yào: 开药 - To Prescribe Medicine, Write a Prescription ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** kāi yào, kai yao, 开药, prescribe medicine in Chinese, how to say prescribe in Chinese, Chinese doctor, write a prescription Chinese, getting medicine in China, Chinese verb for prescribing, 开药 meaning, kanyao, kaiyo
  * **Summary:** Learn how to use "开药 (kāi yào)," the essential Chinese term for "to prescribe medicine." This page breaks down the meaning, cultural context of visiting a doctor in China, and practical usage. Understand why a doctor doesn't just "give" you medicine but will "kāi yào," a crucial verb for any medical situation in China, from getting cold medicine to complex traditional remedies.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** kāi yào
  * **Part of Speech:** Verb-Object Phrase
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 3
  * **Concise Definition:** To prescribe medicine or to write out a prescription.
  * **In a Nutshell:** "开药 (kāi yào)" is the specific action a doctor or qualified medical professional takes to formally issue medicine to a patient. It's not just "giving" medicine; it implies a diagnosis and an official decision. Think of it as the combined act of diagnosing, deciding on a treatment, and writing the prescription, which in China often leads directly to receiving the medicine at the same hospital or clinic.
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **开 (kāi):** While its primary meaning is "to open," 开 has many extended meanings, including "to start," "to operate," or in this context, "to write out" or "to issue." This is the same 开 used in a similar function in words like [[开支票]] (kāi zhīpiào - to write a check) and [[开发票]] (kāi fāpiào - to issue an invoice).
  * **药 (yào):** This character simply means "medicine," "drug," or "remedy."
  * **Combined Meaning:** When you combine "to issue/write out" (开) with "medicine" (药), you get the logical meaning: "to issue a prescription for medicine."
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
In Chinese culture, the act of "开药" is central to the experience of seeing a doctor ([[看病]], kànbìng). The doctor holds a position of significant authority, and their decision to prescribe medicine is the expected outcome of a consultation.
A key difference from many Western systems is the integration of services. In the US, you typically see a doctor, receive a paper prescription, and then go to a separate pharmacy (like a CVS or Walgreens) to have it filled. In China, the process is often much more streamlined. You will see the doctor, who will **开药**, and you'll then go to the hospital's or clinic's own pharmacy ([[药房]], yàofáng), often just a few steps away, to pay for and collect your medicine immediately.
Furthermore, "开药" applies to both Western medicine ([[西药]], xīyào) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ([[中药]], zhōngyào). A TCM doctor might **开药** in the form of a complex herbal formula that needs to be boiled, highlighting the term's versatility across different medical philosophies prevalent in China. The expectation is that the doctor provides a tangible solution, and that solution is almost always medicine.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
"开药" is one of the most common phrases you'll hear and use in any medical setting in China.
=== At the Doctor's Office ===
This is the most common context. You describe your symptoms, and the doctor will almost certainly conclude the visit by saying they will prescribe you some medicine.
> Patient: 医生，我头疼，还发烧。 (Yīshēng, wǒ tóu téng, hái fāshāo.) - "Doctor, I have a headache and a fever."
> Doctor: 好的，我给你**开**点**药**。 (Hǎo de, wǒ gěi nǐ **kāi** diǎn **yào**.) - "Okay, I will prescribe you some medicine."
=== Figurative Usage ===
In a broader, metaphorical sense, "开药" can mean "to prescribe a solution" for a problem, much like its English equivalent. The noun form [[药方]] (yàofāng - prescription) is often used in this context.
> For a struggling company, a consultant might say:
> 我们必须找到问题的根源，才能对症**开药**。
> (Wǒmen bìxū zhǎodào wèntí de gēnyuán, cáinéng duìzhèng**kāiyào**.)
> "We must find the root of the problem before we can prescribe the right solution." (Literally: "prescribe medicine for the symptom").
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:**
    * 医生给我**开**了感冒**药**。
    * Pinyin: Yīshēng gěi wǒ **kāi** le gǎnmào **yào**.
    * English: The doctor prescribed me cold medicine.
    * Analysis: A standard, simple sentence showing the basic structure: Subject (医生) + gěi + Recipient (我) + **开药**.
  * **Example 2:**
    * 你需要让医生给你**开**一些止痛**药**。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào ràng yīshēng gěi nǐ **kāi** yīxiē zhǐtòng **yào**.
    * English: You need to have the doctor prescribe you some painkillers.
    * Analysis: This example uses "让 (ràng)" to mean "to have someone do something," a very common structure.
  * **Example 3:**
    * 我忘了医生**开**的**药**叫什么名字。
    * Pinyin: Wǒ wàng le yīshēng **kāi** de **yào** jiào shénme míngzì.
    * English: I forgot the name of the medicine the doctor prescribed.
    * Analysis: Here, "医生开的药" acts as a noun phrase ("the medicine that the doctor prescribed"), using the particle "的 (de)".
  * **Example 4:**
    * 这种病不用**开药**，多喝水多休息就好了。
    * Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng bìng bùyòng **kāi yào**, duō hē shuǐ duō xiūxí jiù hǎo le.
    * English: This illness doesn't require a prescription; just drink more water and get more rest.
    * Analysis: A negative example showing that "开药" isn't always necessary.
  * **Example 5:**
    * 王医生很谨慎，不轻易给病人**开**抗生素。
    * Pinyin: Wáng yīshēng hěn jǐnshèn, bù qīngyì gěi bìngrén **kāi** kàngshēngsù.
    * English: Dr. Wang is very cautious and doesn't easily prescribe antibiotics to patients.
    * Analysis: Shows that you can specify the type of medicine being prescribed. "抗生素 (kàngshēngsù)" means antibiotics.
  * **Example 6:**
    * 他上次**开**的**药**没什么效果，我得再去看一次病。
    * Pinyin: Tā shàng cì **kāi** de **yào** méishénme xiàoguǒ, wǒ děi zài qù kàn yīcì bìng.
    * English: The medicine he prescribed last time wasn't very effective, I have to go see the doctor again.
    * Analysis: Connects the past action of "开药" with its result ([[效果]], xiàoguǒ - effect).
  * **Example 7:**
    * 这位中医给我**开**了一副**中药**，需要每天熬。
    * Pinyin: Zhè wèi zhōngyī gěi wǒ **kāi** le yī fù **zhōngyào**, xūyào měitiān áo.
    * English: This Traditional Chinese Medicine doctor prescribed me a course of Chinese medicine that needs to be boiled every day.
    * Analysis: A specific example showing its use with TCM ([[中药]], zhōngyào). The measure word for a TCM prescription is often "副 (fù)".
  * **Example 8:**
    * 你能帮我看看这张处方上**开**的都是什么**药**吗？
    * Pinyin: Nǐ néng bāng wǒ kànkan zhè zhāng chǔfāng shàng **kāi** de dōu shì shénme **yào** ma?
    * English: Can you help me see what medicines are prescribed on this prescription?
    * Analysis: This sentence uses the noun [[处方]] (chǔfāng - prescription) and shows how "开" is used to describe the action related to it.
  * **Example 9:**
    * 别给自己乱**开药**，一定要听医生的。
    * Pinyin: Bié gěi zìjǐ luàn **kāi yào**, yīdìng yào tīng yīshēng de.
    * English: Don't just prescribe medicine for yourself randomly, you must listen to the doctor.
    * Analysis: A great warning against self-diagnosis. "乱 (luàn)" means randomly or messily.
  * **Example 10:**
    * 公司的财务问题很严重，老板请了专家来“**开药**”。
    * Pinyin: Gōngsī de cáiwù wèntí hěn yánzhòng, lǎobǎn qǐng le zhuānjiā lái "**kāi yào**".
    * English: The company's financial problems are severe, so the boss hired an expert to "prescribe a solution."
    * Analysis: This is a perfect example of the figurative use of 开药, meaning to find a professional solution to a complex problem.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
The most common mistake for English speakers is to confuse "开药 (kāi yào)" with "给药 (gěi yào)".
  *   **开药 (kāi yào) - To Prescribe Medicine:** This action requires medical authority and a diagnosis. Only a doctor can 开药.
  *   **给药 (gěi yào) - To Give Medicine:** This is the simple physical act of giving someone medicine. Anyone can do this. A mother can give medicine to her child; you can give a friend an aspirin.
**Incorrect Usage:**
> `*` 我头疼，所以我朋友给我**开药**。
> `*` (Wǒ tóuténg, suǒyǐ wǒ péngyou gěi wǒ **kāi yào**.)
> **Why it's wrong:** Unless your friend is a doctor, they cannot "prescribe" medicine. This implies they made a medical diagnosis and officially issued a prescription.
**Correct Usage:**
> 我头疼，所以我朋友给了我一些止痛药。
> (Wǒ tóuténg, suǒyǐ wǒ péngyou gěi le wǒ yīxiē zhǐtòng yào.)
> "I had a headache, so my friend gave me some painkillers."
Essentially, never use "开药" unless a qualified medical professional is the one performing the action.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[看病]] (kànbìng) - To see a doctor. This is the process that leads to a prescription.
  * [[医生]] (yīshēng) - Doctor. The person who performs the action of "开药".
  * [[病人]] (bìngrén) - Patient. The person who receives the prescription.
  * [[吃药]] (chī yào) - To take medicine. The action the patient takes after getting the prescription filled.
  * [[处方]] (chǔfāng) - Prescription. The noun form; the physical or electronic document that the doctor creates when they "开药".
  * [[药方]] (yàofāng) - Also "prescription," often used for TCM formulas or metaphorically for a "remedy/solution."
  * [[打针]] (dǎ zhēn) - To get an injection/shot. Another common medical treatment often administered alongside prescribed medicine.
  * [[挂号]] (guàhào) - To register at a hospital. This is the first step you take before you can [[看病]].
  * [[中药]] (zhōngyào) - Traditional Chinese Medicine. A type of medicine a doctor can 开药 for.
  * [[西药]] (xīyào) - Western Medicine. The other major category of medicine.