大夫 dài fu
“doctor; physician”
nounHSK 4 · 2021 list level 3
新HSK等级2025 HSK 3.0 syllabus level
大夫 appears in the November 2025 exam syllabus in the following numbered entry. Levels refer to the listed reading and use, not every meaning.
- Entry 1131: 大夫 dàifu — Level 4; official annotation 4 (名). PDF page 108
Separate from the HSK 2.0 and 2021 list labels above. Compare the three lists.
用法How to use 大夫
大夫 (dàifu) is a colloquial noun for a doctor or physician, common in everyday speech and especially in northern China. It is used as a title after a surname (王大夫) and often appears as the object of 看 (看大夫) or as the subject of verbs like 说, 让, 检查. Be aware of the separate historical reading dàfū, which means a senior official in imperial China and is not the everyday 'doctor' sense.
例句Example sentences
- 我明天要去医院看大夫。wǒ míng tiān yào qù yī yuàn kàn dài fu.I'm going to the hospital to see a doctor tomorrow.
- 王大夫，我的头很疼。wáng dài fu, wǒ de tóu hěn téng.Doctor Wang, my head hurts a lot.
- 大夫说我需要多休息。dài fu shuō wǒ xū yào duō xiū xi.The doctor said I need to rest more.
常见错误Common mistakes
-
✗他是一位很好的大夫医生。
✓他是一位很好的大夫。
大夫 and 医生 both mean doctor; use only one of them, not both together.
易混词Easily confused
大夫vs医生
医生 is the standard, neutral word for doctor used everywhere; 大夫 is more colloquial and common in spoken northern Chinese, and it also works as a form of address (王大夫).
义项All meanings
- dà fū: senior official (in imperial China)
- dài fu: doctor; physician