针灸(zhēn jiǔ) - acupuncture in Mandarin

针灸 (zhēnjiǔ) is "acupuncture", a core practice of traditional Chinese medicine. The compound fuses two related techniques: 针 (zhēn), "needle", the insertion of fine needles into the body, and 灸 (jiǔ), "moxibustion", the burning of dried mugwort near the skin - historically the two were often done together, which is why one word covers both.

You will meet it in any conversation about traditional treatment: 去做针灸 (qù zuò zhēnjiǔ), "to go for/have acupuncture", uses 做 (zuò), "to do", the verb that pairs with it, since 针灸 (zhēnjiǔ) itself is a noun naming the treatment rather than the action of applying it.

针灸 (zhēnjiǔ) sits within the broader term 中医 (zhōngyī), "traditional Chinese medicine", alongside 中药 (zhōngyào), "Chinese herbal medicine". It has spread well beyond China: plenty of clinics outside China now offer 针灸 (zhēnjiǔ) as a complementary treatment for pain and stress.