Take with you
Medical phrasebook for China
123 phrases covering the situations you actually meet in a Chinese hospital. Show the Chinese column on your screen, or point at it. Staff read the characters, not the pinyin — the pinyin is for you, so you can say it out loud.
Printing is useful — hospital wifi is unreliable.
How to use it in practice. Open the section you need, turn the screen
towards the person, and let them read. For the registration counter it is worth
screenshotting the section in advance, in case you lose signal.
Getting help and finding your way
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Do you speak English? | 你会说英语吗？ | nǐ huì shuō yīng yǔ ma |
| I don't speak Chinese | 我不会说中文 | wǒ bú huì shuō zhōng wén |
| Please speak more slowly | 请说慢一点 | qǐng shuō màn yì diǎn |
| Can you write it down? | 你能写下来吗？ | nǐ néng xiě xià lái ma |
| Where is the toilet? | 洗手间在哪里？ | xǐ shǒu jiān zài nǎ lǐ |
| Where is the pharmacy? | 药房在哪里？ | yào fáng zài nǎ lǐ |
| I need a wheelchair | 我需要轮椅 | wǒ xū yào lún yǐ |
| Help! | 救命！ | jiù mìng |
At the registration counter
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 挂号 | guà hào |
| Registration fee | 挂号费 | guà hào fèi |
| Registration counter | 挂号窗口 | guà hào chuāng kǒu |
| Self-service kiosk | 自助机 | zì zhù jī |
| Information desk | 导医台 | dǎo yī tái |
| Outpatient department | 门诊 | mén zhěn |
| Emergency department | 急诊 | jí zhěn |
| International medical department | 国际医疗部 | guó jì yī liáo bù |
| Appointment | 预约 | yù yuē |
| Passport | 护照 | hù zhào |
| Patient card | 就诊卡 | jiù zhěn kǎ |
| Medical record | 病历 | bìng lì |
| Queue number | 号 | hào |
| Waiting area | 候诊区 | hòu zhěn qū |
Which department do I need
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Internal medicine | 内科 | nèi kē |
| Surgery | 外科 | wài kē |
| Digestive / gastroenterology | 消化内科 | xiāo huà nèi kē |
| Respiratory | 呼吸内科 | hū xī nèi kē |
| Cardiology | 心内科 | xīn nèi kē |
| Neurology | 神经内科 | shén jīng nèi kē |
| Dermatology (skin) | 皮肤科 | pí fū kē |
| Orthopaedics (bones and joints) | 骨科 | gǔ kē |
| Ophthalmology (eyes) | 眼科 | yǎn kē |
| ENT (ear, nose, throat) | 耳鼻喉科 | ěr bí hóu kē |
| Dentistry | 口腔科 | kǒu qiāng kē |
| Gynaecology | 妇科 | fù kē |
| Paediatrics (children) | 儿科 | ér kē |
| Urology | 泌尿外科 | mì niào wài kē |
Describing your symptoms
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| I have a fever | 我发烧了 | wǒ fā shāo le |
| I have a headache | 我头疼 | wǒ tóu téng |
| I have a stomach ache | 我胃疼 | wǒ wèi téng |
| I have a sore throat | 我嗓子疼 | wǒ sǎng zi téng |
| I have a cough | 我咳嗽 | wǒ ké sòu |
| I feel dizzy | 我头晕 | wǒ tóu yūn |
| I feel nauseous | 我恶心 | wǒ ě xīn |
| I have diarrhoea | 我拉肚子 | wǒ lā dù zi |
| I am constipated | 我便秘 | wǒ biàn mì |
| I have a rash | 我起疹子了 | wǒ qǐ zhěn zi le |
| It hurts here | 这里疼 | zhè lǐ téng |
| I feel short of breath | 我喘不上气 | wǒ chuǎn bù shàng qì |
| I cannot sleep | 我睡不着 | wǒ shuì bù zháo |
| I have no appetite | 我没有食欲 | wǒ méi yǒu shí yù |
| It has been like this for three days | 这样三天了 | zhè yàng sān tiān le |
| I am allergic to penicillin | 我对青霉素过敏 | wǒ duì qīng méi sù guò mǐn |
| I have high blood pressure | 我有高血压 | wǒ yǒu gāo xuè yā |
| I have diabetes | 我有糖尿病 | wǒ yǒu táng niào bìng |
| I am pregnant | 我怀孕了 | wǒ huái yùn le |
| I am taking this medication | 我在吃这个药 | wǒ zài chī zhè ge yào |
Body parts
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Head | 头 | tóu |
| Eye | 眼睛 | yǎn jing |
| Ear | 耳朵 | ěr duo |
| Nose | 鼻子 | bí zi |
| Throat | 喉咙 | hóu lóng |
| Tooth | 牙 | yá |
| Neck | 脖子 | bó zi |
| Chest | 胸口 | xiōng kǒu |
| Stomach | 胃 | wèi |
| Abdomen | 肚子 | dù zi |
| Back | 背 | bèi |
| Lower back | 腰 | yāo |
| Arm | 胳膊 | gē bo |
| Hand | 手 | shǒu |
| Leg | 腿 | tuǐ |
| Knee | 膝盖 | xī gài |
| Ankle | 脚踝 | jiǎo huái |
| Foot | 脚 | jiǎo |
| Skin | 皮肤 | pí fū |
Tests and scans
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Blood test | 验血 | yàn xuè |
| Urine test | 验尿 | yàn niào |
| X-ray | 拍片 | pāi piàn |
| CT scan | CT | CT |
| MRI | 核磁共振 | hé cí gòng zhèn |
| Ultrasound | 彩超 | cǎi chāo |
| ECG | 心电图 | xīn diàn tú |
| Endoscopy | 胃镜 | wèi jìng |
| Biopsy | 活检 | huó jiǎn |
| Report | 报告 | bào gào |
| Do I need to fast? | 需要空腹吗？ | xū yào kōng fù ma |
| When will the results be ready? | 报告什么时候出来？ | bào gào shén me shí hou chū lái |
Treatment and medication
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Prescription | 处方 | chǔ fāng |
| Medicine | 药 | yào |
| Injection | 打针 | dǎ zhēn |
| IV drip | 输液 | shū yè |
| Surgery | 手术 | shǒu shù |
| Stitches | 缝针 | féng zhēn |
| Dressing change | 换药 | huàn yào |
| Painkiller | 止痛药 | zhǐ tòng yào |
| Antibiotic | 抗生素 | kàng shēng sù |
| Traditional Chinese medicine | 中药 | zhōng yào |
| Acupuncture | 针灸 | zhēn jiǔ |
| Physiotherapy | 理疗 | lǐ liáo |
How to take the medicine
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Once a day | 一天一次 | yī tiān yī cì |
| Twice a day | 一天两次 | yī tiān liǎng cì |
| Three times a day | 一天三次 | yī tiān sān cì |
| Before meals | 饭前 | fàn qián |
| After meals | 饭后 | fàn hòu |
| Before bed | 睡前 | shuì qián |
| Take with water | 用水送服 | yòng shuǐ sòng fú |
| Apply to the skin | 外用 | wài yòng |
| Do not drink alcohol | 不要喝酒 | bú yào hē jiǔ |
Paying
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| How much is it? | 多少钱？ | duō shǎo qián |
| Where do I pay? | 在哪里缴费？ | zài nǎ lǐ jiǎo fèi |
| Payment counter | 收费处 | shōu fèi chù |
| Invoice / receipt | 发票 | fā piào |
| Do you accept international cards? | 可以刷外国卡吗？ | kě yǐ shuā wài guó kǎ ma |
| Cash | 现金 | xiàn jīn |
| Insurance | 保险 | bǎo xiǎn |
| I need an invoice for my insurance claim | 我需要发票报销 | wǒ xū yào fā piào bào xiāo |
Emergencies
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency number (ambulance) | 急救电话 120 | jí jiù diàn huà yī èr líng |
| It's an emergency | 这是急症 | zhè shì jí zhèng |
| Call an ambulance | 叫救护车 | jiào jiù hù chē |
| He / she has fainted | 他晕倒了 | tā yūn dǎo le |
| I cannot breathe | 我不能呼吸 | wǒ bù néng hū xī |
| Severe pain | 剧烈疼痛 | jù liè téng tòng |
| Police | 警察 | jǐng chá |
A note on accuracy
The Chinese here is standard Mandarin as used in mainland hospitals. Regional usage differs — some phrases are said differently in different provinces, and hospital staff will understand the standard form in any case. If a phrase does not land, show the characters and let them read it rather than repeating it.
This page is a language aid only. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for an interpreter when the stakes are high — for anything involving consent, surgery or a serious diagnosis, insist on a real interpreter.
Found a mistake, or a phrase that is missing? Tell us.