xem mạch
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To take someone's pulse / to feel someone's pulse: The primary meaning of "xem mạch" is the medical act of checking the rate, rhythm, and condition of a patient's arteries (usually at the wrist) to assess their health, a fundamental diagnostic technique in traditional and modern medicine.
- To diagnose / to examine (in a traditional context): In traditional Vietnamese medicine, "xem mạch" often refers to the broader diagnostic process where a practitioner assesses a patient's pulse to determine imbalances and illnesses.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Bác sĩ đang xem mạch cho bệnh nhân. (The doctor is taking the patient's pulse.)
- Thầy lang xem mạch rồi kê đơn thuốc. (The herbalist took my pulse and then prescribed medicine.)
- Cô ấy học cách xem mạch ở trường y. (She learned how to feel a pulse at medical school.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is almost exclusively used in a medical or health context. It implies a professional or knowledgeable action, not a casual one.
Variants and Related Words
- Bắt mạch (v): This is a direct synonym, also meaning "to take/palpate the pulse."
- Ông ấy bắt mạch rất giỏi. (He is very skilled at pulse palpation.)
Synonyms
- To take one's pulse: The standard medical term.
- To feel one's pulse: A common descriptive synonym.
- To palpate the pulse: A more clinical term.
Related Idioms
- While "xem mạch" itself is not typically part of idioms, it is conceptually related to the idea of assessment or checking the state of something. A figurative, non-medical usage is very rare.