針灸 / 针灸
zhēnjiǔ
Acupuncture in Chinese is 針灸 / 针灸 (zhēnjiǔ). If unsure, use 針灸 / 针灸. Wiktionary also lists 針術 / 针术 (zhēnshù).
Meaning: insertion of needles for remedial purposes (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 針灸 / 针灸 | zhēnjiǔ |
| 針術 / 针术 | zhēnshù |
What does it mean word for word?
針 or 针 means needle and 灸 means moxibustion, so the word literally names needle treatment together with moxibustion.
Which one should you use?
針術 / 针术 (zhēnshù) focuses on the technique of using needles, while 針灸 / 针灸 is the common term for the practice as a whole.
Is it said differently in some regions?
針灸 is the traditional spelling, used in Taiwan and Hong Kong and 针灸 is the simplified spelling, used in mainland China.
How do you pronounce it?
Say zhēnjiǔ with a high level tone and then a dipping tone.
Did you know?
- In ancient China, the 'needles' in 針 were not always metal. Early practitioners used sharpened stones called 砭石 (biānshí) to stimulate points in the body.
- The phrase 針灸 describes a process of 'balancing', and a practitioner may use the term 調氣 (tiáoqì) to describe the act of tuning the body's energy like a musical instrument.
- While 針灸 is the medical term, the character 針 is also used in the word for 'sewing needle' and 'clock hand'. It generally refers to any thin, pointed object.
Examples in context
- 针灸有助于缓解疼痛。Acupuncture helps alleviate pain.
- 我打算去学习针刺。I plan to study acupuncture.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “acupuncture” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
