Day 18: Health & the Doctor — Learn Chinese in 30 Days

What You’ll Learn Today

No one wants to get sick abroad — but it happens. Today’s vocabulary and phrases could genuinely be lifesaving. We’ll cover how to describe symptoms clearly, what to expect at a Chinese hospital, and how to find the right medicine at a pharmacy.

Describing Symptoms

The pattern from Day 11 applies here too — body part + feeling:

• 我发烧了。(Wǒ fā shāo le.) — I have a fever.
• 我头晕。(Wǒ tóu yūn.) — I feel dizzy.
• 我咳嗽很厉害。(Wǒ ké sòu hěn lì hài.) — I have a bad cough.
• 我拉肚子。(Wǒ lā dù zi.) — I have diarrhea.
• 我呕吐了。(Wǒ ǒu tù le.) — I vomited.

Useful time phrases for symptoms:

• 从昨天开始 (cóng zuó tiān kāi shǐ) — since yesterday
• 大概三天了 (dà gài sān tiān le) — for about three days

At the Doctor

我哪里不舒服？— (The doctor will ask) Nǐ nǎ lǐ bù shū fu? — Where does it hurt? 我这里疼。— Wǒ zhè lǐ téng. — It hurts here. (point to the area)

我对青霉素过敏。— Wǒ duì qīng méi sù guò mǐn. — I’m allergic to penicillin.

Write this down and carry it with you if applicable.

At the Pharmacy

Chinese pharmacies (药店 yào diàn) are everywhere and stock a wide range of medications. Describe your symptoms and pharmacists will recommend something:

我头疼，需要什么药？— Wǒ tóu téng, xū yào shén me yào? — I have a headache, what medicine do I need?

Common medicines:

• 止痛药 (zhǐ tòng yào) — pain killers
• 退烧药 (tuì shāo yào) — fever reducers
• 感冒药 (gǎn mào yào) — cold medicine
• 胃药 (wèi yào) — stomach medicine

Sentence Patterns

Pattern 1: Telling the doctor your symptoms

我从昨天开始发烧，头很疼。— Wǒ cóng zuó tiān kāi shǐ fā shāo, tóu hěn téng. — I’ve had a fever since yesterday and my head really hurts.

Pattern 2: Asking about medication

这个药怎么吃？— Zhège yào zěn me chī? — How do I take this medicine? 一天几次？— Yī tiān jǐ cì? — How many times per day?

Pattern 3: Emergency

请叫救护车！— Qǐng jiào jiù hù chē! — Please call an ambulance!

Cultural Note

Chinese hospitals have a registration system (挂号 guà hào) — you must register and often pre-select a department before seeing a doctor. Major public hospitals can be very crowded; private hospitals and clinics in big cities often have shorter wait times and more English-speaking staff.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended for China travel. Medical costs for foreigners, especially at private hospitals, can be significant.

Practice Exercise

What would you say if:

1. You have a fever and feel dizzy.
2. You need to tell the doctor you’re allergic to penicillin.
3. You need to call an ambulance.
4. You want to ask the pharmacist about cold medicine.

Answers: 1) 我发烧了，头晕。2) 我对青霉素过敏。3) 请叫救护车！4) 你们有感冒药吗？