Medical Phrases in Mandarin: Getting Care When You Feel Sick
Hospitals in China work on a register-first, pay-first rhythm, and the front desk is unlikely to speak English. Knowing five or six phrases gets you through the door faster than a translation app that keeps losing signal in a basement pharmacy.
For anything serious, dial 120 for an ambulance. For a fever or a stomach bug, a nearby pharmacy is usually quicker and cheaper than a hospital, and a pharmacist can hand you something without an appointment.
Useful phrases
- 我生病了。I'm sick.
The plain statement that opens a conversation at a pharmacy counter. Add 发烧 (fāshāo) or 肚子疼 (dùzi téng) to say what kind.
- 我不舒服。I don't feel well.
Vaguer and gentler than 生病 (shēngbìng), and useful when you cannot yet name the problem. Point at where it hurts.
- 我发烧了。I have a fever.
Pharmacists usually reach for a thermometer when they hear this. Say 多少度 (duōshao dù) if you want the number in Celsius.
- 我头疼。I have a headache.
头疼 (tóuténg) is headache, and 疼 (téng) is the general word for pain. Swap in 肚子 (stomach), 嗓子 (throat) or 牙 (tooth) for other spots.
- 我肚子疼。My stomach hurts.
The most common travel complaint in China, usually from an unfamiliar dish or local tap water. Say it, then point to where the pain sits.
- 我需要看医生。I need to see a doctor.
Use it at a hotel front desk, which will call a clinic that takes foreign patients. Say 现在 (xiànzài, now) if it cannot wait until morning.
- 请叫救护车。Please call an ambulance.
Ask a staff member to make the call if you are on your own. Ambulance calls are free, and the operator answers in Chinese.
- 打120。Dial 120.
120 reads as yāo èr líng when spoken. An ambulance goes to the nearest public hospital, so name a specific clinic if you would rather be taken elsewhere.
- 最近的医院在哪里？Where is the nearest hospital?
医院 (yīyuàn) is a hospital and 药店 (yàodiàn) is a pharmacy. For something minor, ask for the pharmacy first.
- 最近的药店在哪里？Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Chinese pharmacies sell basic medicine without a prescription, and a pharmacist can point you to the right box. Bring the English name of your usual medicine.
- 我对青霉素过敏。I'm allergic to penicillin.
青霉素 (qīngméisù) is penicillin. Swap in 花生 (huāshēng), 海鲜 (hǎixiān) or 阿司匹林 (āsīpǐlín) before 过敏 (guòmǐn) to name your own allergen.
- 我有高血压。I have high blood pressure.
高血压 (gāoxuèyā) is often asked about before any procedure. A written note in Chinese saves a lot of gesturing at a registration desk.
- 这是我每天吃的药。This is the medicine I take every day.
Show the box or the English label. Bring enough for the whole trip in your hand luggage, since the same brand may not be sold here.
- 这附近有国际医院吗？Is there an international clinic nearby?
国际医院 (guójì yīyuàn) signals a clinic where the staff speak English. Beijing United Family and Shanghai United Family are the two best known, and both bill international insurance.
Quick cultural tip
How a Chinese hospital works
You register at a 挂号 (guàhào) window first, then see a doctor, then pay again for tests or medicine at a cashier. Bring your passport, since it is used to create a patient card, and expect to pay at each step rather than once at the end.
In Beijing, Shanghai and a few other big cities, international clinics such as Beijing United Family and Shanghai United Family treat foreigners in English at prices closer to Western ones. Download an offline translation pack before you travel; hospital corridors and basement pharmacies are exactly where mobile data tends to fail.