療

Phono-semantic compound:

疒 (병들어 기댈 녁, “illness, disease”) — semantic, indicating sickness or bodily affliction.

尞 (횃불 료, “torch, burning flame”) — phonetic, giving the sound 료 and metaphorically suggesting “burning away” the illness.

The character thus represents treating a disease until it is eradicated, much like a torch burning away impurity — hence, the idea of healing or curing.

치료(治療) — treatment, medical therapy

요양(療養) — recuperation, convalescence

완치(完療) — complete recovery or full healing

물리치료(物理治療) — physical therapy

심리치료(心理治療) — psychotherapy, counseling

In ancient Chinese medical texts, 療 appears in phrases like 醫以療病 (“the physician cures illness”) — emphasizing the active process of removing sickness rather than merely maintaining health.

In Buddhist writings, 療 is also used metaphorically — the Dharma (法) is said to “heal” the sufferings of the mind, as in 療諸煩惱 (“to cure all afflictions”).

The term 療養 (요양) gained prominence in East Asian medicine, describing rest and recovery through balance rather than direct intervention.