Definition

1. Verb:
   • To prescribe medicine (traditional): The primary meaning of "cắt thuốc" is the act of a traditional healer or herbalist preparing and prescribing herbal medicine (such as Southern herbal medicine or Chinese herbal medicine) based on a diagnosis.
   • To dispense herbal medicine: It involves the specific process of selecting, weighing, and combining various dried herbs to create a customized prescription for a patient.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Ông lang đã cắt thuốc cho bệnh nhân. (The traditional healer prescribed medicine for the patient.)
  • Ngày xưa, người ta thường đến các hiệu thuốc Bắc để cắt thuốc. (In the past, people often went to Chinese medicine shops to have medicine prescribed.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "cắt thuốc" is deeply rooted in traditional Vietnamese and East Asian medicine. It implies a personalized consultation where the practitioner ("thầy lang" or "lương y") diagnoses and then physically prepares the herbal mixture. It is less commonly used for modern Western pharmacy prescriptions, where "kê đơn thuốc" (to write a prescription) is more typical.

Variants and Related Words

• Bốc thuốc (v): A near-synonym meaning to gather or pick herbs to make medicine; also used for prescribing traditional medicine.
• Kê đơn thuốc (v): To write a prescription (used more commonly in modern, Western-style medicine).
• Thang thuốc (n): A dose or regimen of herbal medicine, often resulting from "cắt thuốc".

Synonyms

• Prescribe (herbal medicine): To advise and authorize the use of a particular herbal treatment.
• Dispense (herbs): To prepare and give out medicine.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Cắt thuốc mát tay: Describes a healer whose prescribed medicine is very effective, literally "to prescribe medicine with a cool/capable hand."
  • Cụ lang trong làng nổi tiếng cắt thuốc mát tay. (The village's traditional healer is famous for his effective prescriptions.)

verb

1. to prescribe medicine
   • cắt thuốc cho người bệnh
     to prescribe for a sickman