Operation

op-uh-RAY-shuhn /ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/

Neutral Neutral

What it really means

A surgical procedure — what many learners would call "surgery" in the medical sense. British people usually say "I'm having an operation" or informally "an op". Remember: "the surgery" usually means the doctor's office instead.

Chinese explanation

手术：外科手术在英式英语里常说"operation"，口语也说"op"。注意区分："the surgery"通常指诊所，而不是手术。

Example conversation

A: Why is Tom off work next month? B: He's having a knee operation, so he'll be recovering for a few weeks.

A：Tom下个月怎么不上班？ B：他要做膝盖手术，之后要恢复几个星期。

What you could say back

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Related phrases

Surgery Inpatient Waiting list

Official sources

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Reviewed by the UK Decoded editorial team · Last checked 24 July 2026 · Report a mistake