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療 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
療liáocured, healed; to recoverzg, 17 strokes, radical 疒
liáo(liao2) T2
  1. 1cured, healed; to recover
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

療liáo(liao2)

The character 療 (liáo) refers to the process of curing or healing, often in the context of medical treatment or recovery from an illness. It is commonly used to describe both physical and mental healing, emphasizing restoration to health. In everyday usage, it is often found in medical terms or discussions about health and wellness.

Strokes17Radical疒
Cultural Note

In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of healing (療) goes beyond just physical recovery; it includes balancing the body's energy (气) and achieving harmony. This holistic view of health is deeply ingrained in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Imagine a doctor (the component '方' which means 'method') applying a healing remedy (the character '療' itself) to help a patient recover. The sound 'liáo' can remind you of 'heal' as they both start with an 'h' sound, creating a mental image of healing hands.

Meanings of 療

liáo(liao2)
1cured, healed; to recover
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 療

療Simplified
17Strokes
疒Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 療

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Podcast: 療

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 療

Quick Contrast

疗 (liáo) vs 治 (zhì): Use 療 (liáo) when focusing on the process of healing, while 治 (zhì) emphasizes the act of curing or treating a disease.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 療 with other similar-sounding characters. It is used in both formal medical contexts and informal conversations about health. Be cautious with the tone; 'liáo' has a rising tone (second tone), which is different from many other healing terms that may have a flat or falling tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 療 is not specifically included in the HSK levels, it is related to terms at HSK 3 and 4 that deal with health and well-being. Students should focus on its application in compounds or phrases related to healing and recovery, such as 療養 (liáoyǎng – recuperation).

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 療 with '了' (le), leading to incorrect phrases like '我疗了' instead of '我疗好' (I have healed). Always remember that 療 is used to discuss the act of healing, not as a simple past tense marker.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 療

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Etymology of 療

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 了 represents the sound. Simplified form of 療.

Memory Hint

sickness

Semantic (meaning)疒
+
Phonetic (sound)尞
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 療

Phonosemantic compound. 疒 represents the meaning and 了 represents the sound. Simplified form of 療.

  1. 1The meaning half疒 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half尞 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaysickness
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 療? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 療?

Decomposition of 療

IDS Structure⿸疒尞
療Full Character
=
疒ne4
enclosing
尞liao4
inner
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 療?

How to say cured, healed; to recover in Chinese

“cured, healed; to recover” in Chinese is療liáo

The character 療 (liáo) refers to the process of curing or healing, often in the context of medical treatment or recovery from an illness. It is commonly used to describe both physical and mental healing, emphasizing restoration to health. In everyday usage, it is often found in medical terms or discussions about health and wellness.

When to use 療

Learners often confuse 療 with other similar-sounding characters. It is used in both formal medical contexts and informal conversations about health. Be cautious with the tone; 'liáo' has a rising tone (second tone), which is different from many other healing terms that may have a flat or falling tone.

療 or something close to it

疗 (liáo) vs 治 (zhì): Use 療 (liáo) when focusing on the process of healing, while 治 (zhì) emphasizes the act of curing or treating a disease.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 療 with '了' (le), leading to incorrect phrases like '我疗了' instead of '我疗好' (I have healed). Always remember that 療 is used to discuss the act of healing, not as a simple past tense marker.

Write 療

療

Practice writing 療 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 療

Words Containing This Character15
治疗zhìliáotherapy治療
医疗yīliáomedical treatment醫療
疗法liáofǎtherapy療法
疗效liáoxiàohealing efficacy療效
化疗chemotherapy化療
疗程course of treatment療程
疗liáoto treat療
医疗费medical expenses醫療費
理疗physiotherapy理療
诊疗diagnosis and treatment診療
疗养liáoyǎngto get well療養
水疗hydrotherapy水療
食疗food therapy食療
电疗electrotherapy電療
治疗法therapy治療法
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 治疗 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 療

It is often used when discussing recovery from illness or inquiring about someone's health, as in '你感觉好些了吗?还需要疗养吗?' (Do you feel better? Do you need further recuperation?).

Jason Recommends

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