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Going to see the doctor or to the hospital is a stressful situation for many but you can imagine how many more times difficult it is to do this if you’re in a foreign country that speaks a completely different language. So, for those who are living, traveling, working and studying in China or thinking about doing so, here are some key Mandarin Chinese words and phrases you should master to make your trip to the doctors much smoother whilst you’re in China. Learn more Mandarin Chinese and worry less.

Kànbìng - 看病 – see a doctor

e.g. Wǒ bú tài shūfu, wǒ yào qù kànbìnɡ - 我不太舒服，我要去看病。

Qù yīyuàn - 去医院 – go to hospital

e.g. Nǐ xūyào qù yīyuàn ma？ - 你需要去医院吗？

General Words

Yīshēng / dàifu - 医生 /大夫- Doctor

Yīyuàn - 医院 – Hospital

Yào - 药 - Medicine

Yàodiàn / Yàofáng - 药店 /药房 – Pharmacy

Yào jì shī - 药剂师 - pharmacist

Hùshi - 护士 – Nurse

Bìngrén - 病人 – patient

What a doctor might ask you?

Nǐ yǒu shénme zhèngzhuàng? - 你有什么症状？- What are your symptoms?

Nǐ fāshāo ma? - 你发烧吗? – Do you have a fever?

Nǐ nǎ'er bú shūfú - 你哪儿不舒服？ – Where are you feeling unwell/uncomfortable?

Nǐ téng ma？- 你疼吗？ - Are in you pain?

Nǐ nǎr téng？ - 你哪儿疼？ - Where does it hurt?

(Tóu) téng bù téng  - (头)疼不疼? - Do you have a (headache)?

(Tóu) téng ma?  - (头)疼吗? - Do you have a (headache)?

*Can replace head with a different part of the body

What you might say to the doctor?

Wǒ shēngbìng le - 我病了 - I’m ill

Wǒ gǎnmào - 我感冒了 - I have a cold

Wǒ bù shū fu - 我不舒服-I feel sick

Wǒ guòmǐn le.- 我过敏了 – I have allergies

Wǒ gǎnrǎn le- 我感染了。- I have an infection.

Wǒ yǒu bìngdú- 我有病毒。- I have a virus.

How to describe your symptoms

Zhèngzhuàng - 症状 - Symptoms

Wǒ fāshāo le - 我发烧了 - I have a fever.

Wǒ liú bítì  - 我流鼻涕 - I have a runny nose.
Wǒ dǎ pēntì  - 我打喷嚏 - I am sneezing.

Wǒ késou - 我咳嗽 - I have a cough.
Wǒ sǎngzi téng  - 我嗓子疼 - I have a sore throat

Wǒ dùzi téng  - 我肚子疼 - I have a stomach ache.

Wǒ lā dùzi - 我拉肚子 - I have diarrhea.

Wǒ tóu téng - 我头疼 - I have a headache.

Wǒ tóu yūn le - 我头晕 – I feel dizzy
Wǒ ěrduo téng  - 我耳朵疼 - I have an earache.

Wǒ tuǐ duàn le- 我腿断了- My leg is broken.

*Can replace leg with a different part of the body

Body Parts

Shēntǐ  - 身体 - Body

Tóu - 头 - Head

Yǎnjing - 眼睛 - Eyes

Bízi  - 鼻子-Nose

Zuǐbā  - 嘴巴 - Mouth

ěrduo  - 耳朵 - Ears

Bózi  - 脖子 - Neck

Sǎngzi  - 嗓子 - Throat

Jiānbǎng  - 肩膀 - Shoulder

Gēbo - 胳膊 - Arm

Shǒu - 手 - Hand

Shǒuzhǐ  - 手指 - Finger

Xiōngbù  - 胸部 - Chest

Wèi - 胃 - Stomach

Tuǐ  - 腿 - Legs

Jiǎo  - 脚 - Foot

Jiǎozhǐ  - 脚趾 - Toes

Being Examined

Nǐ xū yào… - 你需要... ...- you need to…

Liáng tǐ wēn - 量体温 - measure body temperature

Chōu xuè - 抽血 - Take blood

Liáng xuè yā - 量血压 - take blood pressure

Tīng zhěn - 听诊 - listen to your heart beat

X guāng - Ｘ光 - X-ray

General doctors advice

Chī yào -吃药 -Take medicine

Duō hē shuǐ - 多喝水 - Drink plenty of water

Duō chī shuíɡuǒ -多吃水果 -Eat more fruit

Duō xiūxi -多休息 -Take more rest

Dǎ zhēn -打针 -To get an injection

Role Play

Practice your Mandarin Chinese reading and speaking skills with this dialogue between doctor and patient.

Doctor: Nǐ nǎr bù shūfu?

Doctor: 你哪儿不舒服?

Doctor: What's your problem?

Patient: Yīshenɡ , wǒ sǎngzi téng, késou, tóu yě téng.

Patient: 医生，我 嗓子 疼、咳嗽，头也疼。

Patient: Doctor, I have a sore throat, a cough and a headache.

Doctor: Liú bítì ma？

Doctor: 流鼻涕吗？

Doctor: Do you have a runny nose?

Patient: Yǒudiǎner. Yǒu shíhòu dǎ pēntì.

Patient: 有点儿。有时候打喷嚏。

Patient: A little. Sometimes sneezing.

Doctor: Zhāng kāi zuǐ， wǒ kàn yīxià…

Doctor: 张开嘴，我看一下…

Doctor: Open your mouth, I will take a look

A moment later…

Doctor: Lái, liáng  yí xià  tǐwēn.

Doctor:来，量一下体温。

Doctor: Come, let me take your temperature.

A moment later…

Doctor: Sānshíbā dù wǔ, fāshāo le. Nǐ xūyào dǎzhēn

Doctor: 38 度 5，发烧 了. 你需要打针

Doctor: Thirty eight point five degrees centigrade. You need an injection!

Patient: Bìxū yào dǎzhēn  ma?

Patient: 必须要打针吗？

Patient: Is it necessary?

Doctor: duì, yǒudiǎner yánzhòng.

Doctor: 对，有点儿严重。

Doctor: Yes, It’s a little serious.

After injection…

Doctor: Wǒ gěi nǐ kāi yī xiē yào, yì tiān sān cì. Jì dé duō xiūxi, duō hē shuǐ.

Doctor: 我给你开一些药。一天三次，记得多休息，多喝水。

Doctor: I will give you some medicine, three times a day. Remember to get more rest, drink more water.

Patient: Hǎo, zài nǎlǐ ná yào?

Patient: 好，在哪里拿药？

Patient: Ok, where can I get the medicine?

Doctor: qù yī  lóu yàofánɡ ná yào .

Doctor: 去一楼药房拿药。

Doctor: Go to the pharmacy on the first floor to get your medicine.

Patient: hǎo de ，xièxiè yīshenɡ！

Patient: 好的，谢谢医生!

Patient: ok，Thank you doctor!

And that’s it for today. Thanks for reading and we hope you found this useful. For extra practice or just more learning Mandarin Chinese, you’re in the right place. We have 1-to-1 online lessons with our professional tutors. Learn more Mandarin and worry less. Get your free trial lesson and consultation today!