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This time of year, it’s common for people to get sick in all sorts of ways. Let’s learn some Chinese vocabulary and expressions to help you talk about how you feel.
我病了。 Wǒ bìngle. I’m sick.
Let’s start with some general expressions and ways to talk about your symptoms.
- 我不太舒服。
Wǒ bù tài shūfú.
I don’t feel well. - 我想我病了。
Wǒ xiǎng wǒ bìngle.
I think I’m getting sick. - 我病了。
Wǒ bìngle.
I’m sick.
- 我感冒了。
Wǒ gǎnmàole.
I have a cold. - 我咳嗽。
Wǒ késòu.
I have a cough. - 我有鼻塞。
Wǒ yǒu bísāi.
I have congestion/a stuffed nose. - 我头疼。
Wǒ tóuténg.
I have a headache. - 我发烧了。
Wǒ fāshāole.
I have a fever. - 我想吐。
Wǒ xiǎng tǔ.
I feel nauseated. - 我没有精力。
Wǒ méiyǒu jīnglì.
I have no energy. - 我今天不能去上班。
Wǒ jīntiān bùnéng qù shàngbān.
I can’t go to work today. - 我今天不能去上学。
Wǒ jīntiān bùnéng qù shàngxué.
I can’t go to school today.
我咳嗽得很厉害。 Wǒ késòu dé hěn lìhài. I have a bad cough.
咳嗽 késòu (a cough) is a pretty common symptom of all sorts of sicknesses.
- 我喉咙痛。
Wǒ hóulóng tòng.
I have a sore throat. - 我经常咳嗽。
Wǒ jīngcháng késòu.
I’m coughing a lot. - 我没睡好，因为我整晚都在咳嗽。
Wǒ méi shuì hǎo, yīnwèi wǒ zhěng wǎn dōu zài késòu.
I didn’t sleep well, because I coughed all night. - 我需要吃止咳糖浆。
Wǒ xūyào chī zhǐké tángjiāng.
I need to take cough syrup. - 你有止咳药水吗？
Nǐ yǒu zhǐké yàoshuǐ ma?
Do you have cough drops? - 我没声音了，因为我咳嗽得很厉害。
Wǒ méi shēngyīnle, yīnwèi wǒ késòu dé hěn lìhài.
I’m losing my voice because I’m coughing so much.
我鼻塞了。 Wǒ bísāile. I have a stuffy nose.
The other really common symptom of being sick is a stuffy or runny nose.
- 我鼻子很塞。
Wǒ bízi hěn sāi.
My nose is congested/stuffed. - 我在流鼻涕。
Wǒ zài liú bítì.
My nose is running. - 我需要一张纸巾。
Wǒ xūyào yī zhāng zhǐjīn.
I need a tissue. - 我需要擤鼻涕。
Wǒ xūyào xǐng bítì.
I need to blow my nose. - 我需要买一个鼻喷剂。
Wǒ xū yāo mǎi yīgè bí pēn jì.
I need to buy a decongestant. - 我鼻子很难呼吸。
Wǒ bízi hěn nán hūxī.
I can’t breathe through my nose. - 我经常打喷嚏。
Wǒ jīngcháng dǎ pēntì.
I sneeze a lot. - 我的鼻子快把我逼疯了。
Wǒ de bízi kuài bǎ wǒ bī fēngle.
My nose is driving me crazy.
我头疼。 Wǒ tóuténg. I have a headache.
头痛 tóutòng (a headache) or 身体疼痛 shēntǐ téngtòng (body aches) are also pretty common when you’re sick.
- 我头疼得厉害。
Wǒ tóuténg dé lìhài.
I have a terrible headache. - 我的头很胀。
Wǒ de tóu hěn zhàng.
My head is pounding. - 你有阿司匹林吗？
Nǐ yǒu Āsīpīlín ma?
Do you have aspirin? - 我用完了阿司匹林。
Wǒ yòng wánle Āsīpīlín.
I ran out of aspirin. - 我需要躺下。
Wǒ xūyào tǎng xià.
I need to lie down. - 我有偏头痛。
Wǒ yǒu piān tóutòng.
I have a migraine. - 我身体疼痛。
Wǒ shēntǐ téngtòng.
I have body aches.
我发烧了。 Wǒ fāshāole. I have a fever.
If you’re sick it’s important to know if you have 发热 fārè (a fever).
- 我觉得我发烧了。
Wǒ juédé wǒ fāshāole.
I think I have a fever. - 我觉得你体温很高。
Wǒ juédé nǐ tǐwēn hěn gāo.
You feel very warm to me. - 你需要量体温。
Nǐ xūyào liáng tǐwēn.
You need to take your temperature. - 你有温度计吗？
Nǐ yǒu wēndùjì ma?
Do you have a thermometer? - 你发低烧。
Nǐ fā dīshāo.
You have a low fever. - 你发高烧。
Nǐ fā gāoshāo.
You have a high fever. - 你需要降低体温。
Nǐ xūyào jiàngdī tǐwēn.
You need to lower your temperature. - 我烧退了。
Wǒ shāotùile.
My fever broke.
我要吐了。 Wǒ yào tǔle. I’m going to throw up.
There are lots of other unpleasant symptoms that you may need to describe.
- 我头晕。
Wǒ tóuyūn.
I’m dizzy. - 我要晕倒了。
Wǒ yào yūn dǎo le.
I’m going to faint. - 我恶心。
Wǒ ěxīn.
I’m nauseated. - 我要吐了。
Wǒ yào tǔle.
I’m going to vomit/throw up. - 我有腹泻。
Wǒ yǒu fùxiè.
I have diarrhea. - 我有寒战。
Wǒ yǒu hánzhàn.
I have chills. - 我出汗了。
Wǒ chū hànle.
I’m sweating. - 我已经失去了嗅觉。
Wǒ yǐjīng shīqùle xiùjué.
I’ve lost my sense of smell. - 我已经失去了味觉。
Wǒ yǐjīng shīqùle wèijué.
I’ve lost my sense of taste.
在医生诊间 Zài yīshēng zhěn jiān At the doctor’s office
If you’re sick and it’s not going away, you need to go to the doctor.
- 你去看医生了吗？
nǐ qù kàn yīshēngle ma?
Have you gone to see the doctor? - 我需要预约医生。
Wǒ xūyào yùyuē yīshēng.
I need to make a doctor’s appointment. - 护士量了我的血压。
Hùshì liángle wǒ de xiěyā.
The nurse takes my blood pressure. - 医生看我的喉咙和耳朵。
Yīshēng kàn wǒ de hóulóng hé ěrduǒ.
The doctor looks in my throat and ears. - 你的症状是什么？
Nǐ de zhèngzhuàng shì shénme?
What are your symptoms? - 你有感染。
Nǐ yǒu gǎnrǎn.
You have an infection. - 你得了流感。
Nǐ déliǎo liúgǎn.
You have the flu. - 你有支气管炎。
Nǐ yǒu zhīqìguǎn yán.
You have bronchitis. - 你得了肺炎。
Nǐ déliǎo fèiyán.
You have pneumonia. - 你需要抗生素。
Nǐ xūyào kàngshēngsù.
You need antibiotics. - 这是处方。
Zhè shì chǔfāng.
Here is a prescription. - 你需要自我隔离。
Nǐ xūyào zìwǒ gélí.
You need to isolate yourself. - 不要让别人生病。
Bùyào ràng biérén shēngbìng.
Don’t get anyone else sick. - 你需要休息。
Nǐ xūyào xiūxí.
You need to rest. - 你需要喝大量的液体。
Nǐ xūyào hē dàliàng de yètǐ.
You need to drink a lot of fluids. - 我要给你验血。
Wǒ yào gěi nǐ yàn xiě.
I’m going to do blood tests on you. - 你需要一张 X 光片。
Nǐ xūyào yī zhāng X guāng piàn.
You need an X-ray.
早日康复！ Zǎorì kāngfù! Get Better Soon!
If you’re not sick but know someone who is, you may want to know how to say:
- 你今天感觉好些了吗？
Nǐ jīntiān gǎnjué hǎoxiēle ma?
Are you feeling any better today? - 你病了多久了？
Nǐ bìngle duōjiǔle?
How long have you been sick? - 你需要去看医生。
Nǐ xūyào qù kàn yīshēng.
You need to go to the doctor. - 不要让我生病！
Bùyào ràng wǒ shēngbìng!
Don’t get me sick! - 我能给你带什么吗？
Wǒ néng gěi nǐ dài shénme ma?
Can I bring you anything? - 我希望你好点了！
Wǒ xīwàng nǐ hǎo diǎnle!
I hope you feel better! - 快点好起来！
Kuài diǎn hǎo qǐlái!
Get well soon!
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