I can register to see a doctor, say what hurts and for how long, understand how to take a medicine, and buy medicine at a pharmacy.
At the doctor's and at the pharmacy
At the doctor's and at the pharmacy
In a Chinese hospital you first 挂号 (guàhào): register at the front desk and get a number for the doctor. Address the doctor with 您: 陈医生，您好！(Chén yīshēng, nín hǎo!). The doctor says 请坐 (qǐng zuò) — “please sit down” — and asks what's wrong: 您哪儿不舒服？(Nín nǎr bù shūfu?).
Answer with phrases you know: 我头疼 (Wǒ tóuténg), 我发烧 (Wǒ fāshāo), 我感冒了 (Wǒ gǎnmào le), with no 有 for English “have”. The doctor asks 多长时间了？(Duō cháng shíjiān le?) — “how long?”. Just answer with the number of days, no verb: 两天 (liǎng tiān) — “two days”.
In Chinese you “eat” medicine: 吃药 (chī yào). The package says 一天三次，一次两片 (yì tiān sān cì, yí cì liǎng piàn) — “3 times a day, 2 tablets each time” (literally “a day three times, a time two tablets”). The doctor advises 多喝水，多休息 (duō hē shuǐ, duō xiūxi) — 多 before the verb means “more” (English puts it after) — and drinking hot water, 热水 (rèshuǐ): in China a sick person isn't given cold water. At the pharmacy (药店) ask: 这个药怎么吃？(Zhège yào zěnme chī?).
Common mistakes:
• ×我是发烧 → 我发烧 (Wǒ fāshāo) — 是 isn't needed here.
• ×你好，医生 → 陈医生，您好 (Chén yīshēng, nín hǎo) — not “Hello, doctor”: the doctor gets 您 and the family name.
• ×我喝药 (of pills) → 我吃药 (Wǒ chī yào) — English “take” is 吃 here.
At the doctor's
First the registration desk (挂号), then the doctor; you answer with the number of days, with no verb.
| Who | Line | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| registration desk | 挂号 (guàhào) | registering to see a doctor, a queue number |
| doctor | 请坐。(Qǐng zuò.) | Have a seat. |
| doctor | 您哪儿不舒服？(Nín nǎr bù shūfu?) | What's bothering you? |
| you | 我头疼，发烧。(Wǒ tóuténg, fāshāo.) | My head hurts, I have a fever. |
| doctor | 多长时间了？(Duō cháng shíjiān le?) | For how long? |
| you | 两天。(Liǎng tiān.) | Two days. |
What's written on the medicine
Medicine is “eaten”: 吃药 means “take medicine”.
| Sign | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 感冒药 | gǎnmàoyào | for colds |
| 一天三次 | yì tiān sān cì | 3 times a day |
| 一次两片 | yí cì liǎng piàn | 2 tablets at a time |
| 多喝水 | duō hē shuǐ | drink more |
Lesson notes
At the doctor's and at the pharmacy
In a Chinese hospital you first 挂号 (guàhào): register at the front desk and get a number for the doctor. Address the doctor with 您: 陈医生，您好！(Chén yīshēng, nín hǎo!). The doctor says 请坐 (qǐng zuò) — “please sit down” — and asks what's wrong: 您哪儿不舒服？(Nín nǎr bù shūfu?).
Answer with phrases you know: 我头疼 (Wǒ tóuténg), 我发烧 (Wǒ fāshāo), 我感冒了 (Wǒ gǎnmào le), with no 有 for English “have”. The doctor asks 多长时间了？(Duō cháng shíjiān le?) — “how long?”. Just answer with the number of days, no verb: 两天 (liǎng tiān) — “two days”.
In Chinese you “eat” medicine: 吃药 (chī yào). The package says 一天三次，一次两片 (yì tiān sān cì, yí cì liǎng piàn) — “3 times a day, 2 tablets each time” (literally “a day three times, a time two tablets”). The doctor advises 多喝水，多休息 (duō hē shuǐ, duō xiūxi) — 多 before the verb means “more” (English puts it after) — and drinking hot water, 热水 (rèshuǐ): in China a sick person isn't given cold water. At the pharmacy (药店) ask: 这个药怎么吃？(Zhège yào zěnme chī?).
Common mistakes:
• ×我是发烧 → 我发烧 (Wǒ fāshāo) — 是 isn't needed here.
• ×你好，医生 → 陈医生，您好 (Chén yīshēng, nín hǎo) — not “Hello, doctor”: the doctor gets 您 and the family name.
• ×我喝药 (of pills) → 我吃药 (Wǒ chī yào) — English “take” is 吃 here.