kāi yào: 开药 - To Prescribe Medicine, Write a Prescription

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• 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.

• 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.

• 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.”

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.

“开药” is one of the most common phrases you'll hear and use in any medical setting in China.

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.”

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 duìzhèngkāiyào.)
“We must find the root of the problem before we can prescribe the right solution.” (Literally: “prescribe medicine for the symptom”).

• 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.

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.

• 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.