华佗

華佗

HuàTuó

popculture

Meanings

1 Hua Tuo (c. 145-208)
2 legendary physician of the Eastern Han dynasty, considered the father of Chinese surgery

Characters

surname Hua (tone shift); flower/Chinese

to carry on the back

Examples

华佗被尊为中国外科手术的鼻祖。

Huà Tuó bèi zūn wéi Zhōngguó wàikē shǒushù de bízǔ.

Hua Tuo is revered as the founding father of Chinese surgery.

他发明了麻沸散,可以在手术时麻醉病人。

Tā fāmíng le máfèisǎn, kěyǐ zài shǒushù shí mázuì bìngrén.

He invented mafeisan, an herbal anesthetic used during surgery.

Tips

history

Said to have invented the 五禽戏 (Wǔqín Xì, 'Five Animals Exercise') health routine, still practiced today. According to 三国志, Cao Cao executed him after Hua Tuo proposed cracking open his skull to cure his chronic headaches — Cao Cao thought it was an assassination plot.

usage

Saying someone is 华佗再世 (Huà Tuó zài shì, 'Hua Tuo reborn') is high praise for a doctor — the equivalent of calling a surgeon a miracle worker.

Stroke Order

华 huá

佗 tuó