‘胃镜’ (wèi jìng) literally means ‘stomach mirror’ — combining 胃 (wèi), meaning ‘stomach’, and 镜 (jìng), meaning ‘mirror’ or ‘scope’. In modern medical usage, it refers to gastroscopy: a diagnostic procedure where a flexible, lighted tube with a camera is inserted through the mouth into the esophagus, stomach, and upper duodenum to examine the upper digestive tract. It’s commonly used to investigate symptoms like persistent heartburn, unexplained abdominal pain, bleeding, or difficulty swallowing.

The term is strictly clinical and formal; you’ll encounter it in hospitals, medical reports, or conversations with doctors — not in everyday casual speech. Patients may simply say ‘做胃镜’ (to undergo gastroscopy), while doctors might refer to ‘胃镜检查’ (gastroscopic examination) or ‘胃镜报告’ (gastroscopy report). Though the characters suggest a literal ‘mirror’, the instrument is actually an endoscope — reflecting how Chinese medical terminology often builds on classical imagery while describing advanced technology.