Body and Face Parts in Traditional Chinese: 70+ Easy Words (Not the Doctor Ones)

An English-speaking yak teaches Traditional Chinese, pointing to a whiteboard that says Body and Face Parts in Traditional Chinese.

Body and Face Parts in Traditional Chinese

身體和臉部部位(繁體中文)

70+ everyday words, plus the grammar patterns you need for “ow,” “itch,” and “wait—where?”

You’ll learn the most common body and face parts in Traditional Chinese, with pinyin (tone marks), clear meanings, and real sentences you can actually say out loud.

Then we’ll add a few super-useful grammar patterns (like how to say something hurts) so you can complain politely. Or dramatically. Your choice.

Yak Snark: Yes, you can point at your face and say the word. But if you can also say “my throat hurts,” you unlock the Adult DLC: pharmacies, clinics, and not suffering in silence.

Section 1: The “Point at Yourself” Starter Pack

tóu
head
我頭很痛。
Wǒ tóu hěn tòng.
My head really hurts.
liǎn
face
她的臉很紅。
Tā de liǎn hěn hóng.
Her face is really red.
眼睛
yǎnjīng
eyes
我眼睛很累。
Wǒ yǎnjīng hěn lèi.
My eyes are tired.
鼻子
bízi
nose
我的鼻子塞住了。
Wǒ de bízi sāi zhù le.
My nose is stuffed up.
嘴巴
zuǐba
mouth
請張開嘴巴。
Qǐng zhāng kāi zuǐba.
Please open your mouth.
耳朵
ěrduo
ears
我耳朵聽不清楚。
Wǒ ěrduo tīng bù qīngchǔ.
I can’t hear clearly.
shǒu
hand
用手寫字。
Yòng shǒu xiě zì.
Write with your hand.
jiǎo
foot / leg (casual “leg” too)
我腳很酸。
Wǒ jiǎo hěn suān.
My feet/legs are sore.

Tip: In casual speech, 腳 can mean “foot” or “leg,” depending on context. Languages are fun like that.

Section 1.01: Useful phrases (pain, clinics, and “please don’t poke that”)

你哪裡不舒服?

Nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu?

Where do you feel unwell?

我喉嚨不舒服。
Wǒ hóulóng bù shūfu.
My throat feels off.

我頭痛。

Wǒ tóutòng.

I have a headache.

我今天頭痛,想早點睡。
Wǒ jīntiān tóutòng, xiǎng zǎodiǎn shuì.
I have a headache today, so I want to sleep early.

我肚子痛。

Wǒ dùzi tòng.

My stomach hurts.

我肚子痛,不想吃東西。
Wǒ dùzi tòng, bù xiǎng chī dōngxi.
My stomach hurts, so I don’t want to eat.

我的喉嚨很痛。

Wǒ de hóulóng hěn tòng.

My throat really hurts.

喝溫水會舒服一點。
Hē wēnshuǐ huì shūfu yìdiǎn.
Warm water helps a bit.

我流鼻水。

Wǒ liú bíshuǐ.

I have a runny nose.

我一直流鼻水。
Wǒ yìzhí liú bíshuǐ.
My nose keeps running.

我咳嗽。

Wǒ késòu.

I’m coughing.

我咳嗽兩天了。
Wǒ késòu liǎng tiān le.
I’ve been coughing for two days.

我發燒。

Wǒ fāshāo.

I have a fever.

我發燒到三十九度。
Wǒ fāshāo dào sānshíjiǔ dù.
My fever is up to 39°C.

我流汗。

Wǒ liúhàn.

I’m sweating.

我運動一下就流汗。
Wǒ yùndòng yíxià jiù liúhàn.
I sweat as soon as I exercise a little.

我扭到腳踝了。

Wǒ niǔ dào jiǎohuái le.

I sprained my ankle.

我走路會痛。
Wǒ zǒulù huì tòng.
It hurts when I walk.

我受傷了。

Wǒ shòushāng le.

I’m injured.

我手指受傷了。
Wǒ shǒuzhǐ shòushāng le.
I hurt my finger.

張開嘴巴。

Zhāng kāi zuǐba.

Open your mouth.

張開嘴巴,我看看喉嚨。
Zhāng kāi zuǐba, wǒ kànkan hóulóng.
Open your mouth; let me look at your throat.

深呼吸。

Shēn hūxī.

Take a deep breath.

深呼吸,放輕鬆。
Shēn hūxī, fàng qīngsōng.
Breathe deeply and relax.

把手舉起來。

Bǎ shǒu jǔ qǐ lái.

Raise your hand.

把手舉起來,我幫你量血壓。
Bǎ shǒu jǔ qǐ lái, wǒ bāng nǐ liáng xuèyā.
Raise your hand; I’ll check your blood pressure.

把頭低下。

Bǎ tóu dī xià.

Lower your head.

把頭低下,不要動。
Bǎ tóu dī xià, búyào dòng.
Lower your head and don’t move.

Section 1.1: Common grammar patterns for body parts

1) (我) + 身體部位 + 疼 / 痛

Drop “my” and go straight to the drama. Very common in speech.

我膝蓋痛。
Wǒ xīgài tòng.
My knee hurts.

2) 我的 + 部位 + 很 + 形容詞

Use this for dry, itchy, swollen, sore… all the fun stuff.

我的眼睛很乾。
Wǒ de yǎnjīng hěn gān.
My eyes are really dry.

3) 部位 + 上/下/裡/外 + 有…

Great for describing where something is (a cut, a bruise, a mosquito bite).

我手上有一個小傷口。
Wǒ shǒu shàng yǒu yí ge xiǎo shāngkǒu.
I have a small cut on my hand.

4) 在 + 部位 + 上 + 做動作

Put the action on the body part: apply, stick, rub, put on.

我在臉上擦防曬。
Wǒ zài liǎn shàng cā fángshài.
I put sunscreen on my face.

5) 用 + 身體部位 + 做…

“Use (a body part) to do something.” Simple and super practical.

用鼻子呼吸。
Yòng bízi hūxī.
Breathe through your nose.

6) 把 + 部位 + 動作(口令感)

Sounds like instructions: doctors, trainers, parents, and very bossy friends.

把手放下。
Bǎ shǒu fàng xià.
Put your hand down.

Section 2: More body and face words (with real sentences)

Face & head details

TraditionalPinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
額頭
étóu
forehead
我額頭上有汗。
Wǒ étóu shàng yǒu hàn.
There’s sweat on my forehead.
眉毛
méimáo
eyebrows
她的眉毛很濃。
Tā de méimáo hěn nóng.
Her eyebrows are thick.
睫毛
jiémáo
eyelashes
我的睫毛上有水。
Wǒ de jiémáo shàng yǒu shuǐ.
There’s water on my eyelashes.
眼皮
yǎnpí
eyelid
我眼皮在跳。
Wǒ yǎnpí zài tiào.
My eyelid is twitching.
眼珠
yǎnzhū
eyeball (casual)
小孩的眼珠很亮。
Xiǎohái de yǎnzhū hěn liàng.
The kid’s eyes look bright.
瞳孔
tóngkǒng
pupil
醫生看我的瞳孔。
Yīshēng kàn wǒ de tóngkǒng.
The doctor checks my pupils.
眼角
yǎnjiǎo
corner of the eye
她眼角有笑紋。
Tā yǎnjiǎo yǒu xiàowén.
She has smile lines at the corners of her eyes.
鼻孔
bíkǒng
nostril
你兩個鼻孔都通嗎?
Nǐ liǎng ge bíkǒng dōu tōng ma?
Are both nostrils clear?
鼻樑
bíliáng
bridge of the nose
他的鼻樑很挺。
Tā de bíliáng hěn tǐng.
He has a prominent nose bridge.
臉頰
liǎnjiá
cheek
他臉頰鼓起來。
Tā liǎnjiá gǔ qǐ lái.
He puffs out his cheeks.
酒窩
jiǔwō
dimple
她笑的時候有酒窩。
Tā xiào de shíhou yǒu jiǔwō.
She has dimples when she smiles.
下巴
xiàba
chin
我下巴上長了一顆痘痘。
Wǒ xiàba shàng zhǎng le yì kē dòudou.
I got a pimple on my chin.
太陽穴
tài yáng xué
temple (side of head)
我太陽穴有點痛。
Wǒ tài yáng xué yǒudiǎn tòng.
My temples hurt a bit.
嘴唇
zuǐchún
lips
天氣冷,我的嘴唇很乾。
Tiānqì lěng, wǒ de zuǐchún hěn gān.
When it’s cold, my lips get dry.
牙齒
yáchǐ
teeth
我刷牙保護牙齒。
Wǒ shuā yá bǎohù yáchǐ.
I brush my teeth to protect them.
牙齦
yáyín
gums
他的牙齦在流血。
Tā de yáyín zài liúxuè.
His gums are bleeding.
舌頭
shétou
tongue
不要咬到舌頭。
Búyào yǎo dào shétou.
Don’t bite your tongue.
喉嚨
hóulóng
throat
我喉嚨很癢。
Wǒ hóulóng hěn yǎng.
My throat feels itchy.
口水
kǒushuǐ
saliva / drool
小狗一直流口水。
Xiǎogǒu yìzhí liú kǒushuǐ.
The puppy keeps drooling.
耳垂
ěrchuí
earlobe
她戴耳環在耳垂上。
Tā dài ěrhuán zài ěrchuí shàng.
She wears earrings on her earlobes.
頭髮
tóufǎ
hair
我的頭髮太長了。
Wǒ de tóufǎ tài cháng le.
My hair is too long.
頭皮
tóupí
scalp
這個洗髮精對頭皮很溫和。
Zhège xǐfàjīng duì tóupí hěn wēnhé.
This shampoo is gentle on the scalp.
鬍子
húzi
beard
他留鬍子。
Tā liú húzi.
He grows a beard.

Neck & upper body

TraditionalPinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
脖子
bózi
neck
我脖子很酸。
Wǒ bózi hěn suān.
My neck is sore.
肩膀
jiānbǎng
shoulder
他肩膀上背著包。
Tā jiānbǎng shàng bēi zhe bāo.
He carries a bag on his shoulder.
鎖骨
suǒgǔ
collarbone
她的鎖骨很明顯。
Tā de suǒgǔ hěn míngxiǎn.
Her collarbones are noticeable.
胸口
xiōngkǒu
chest (front, “chest area”)
我胸口悶悶的。
Wǒ xiōngkǒu mēn mēn de.
My chest feels tight/heavy.
胸部
xiōngbù
chest (body part)
他胸部受傷了。
Tā xiōngbù shòushāng le.
He injured his chest.
腋下
yèxià
armpit
夏天腋下很容易流汗。
Xiàtiān yèxià hěn róngyì liúhàn.
In summer, armpits sweat easily.
bèi
back
我的背好痛。
Wǒ de bèi hǎo tòng.
My back hurts a lot.
yāo
waist / lower back
他腰扭到了。
Tā yāo niǔ dào le.
He twisted his lower back/waist.

Arms & hands

TraditionalPinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
手臂
shǒubì
arm
我手臂很酸。
Wǒ shǒubì hěn suān.
My arms are sore.
手肘
shǒuzhǒu
elbow
他手肘擦破皮了。
Tā shǒuzhǒu cā pò pí le.
He scraped his elbow.
手腕
shǒuwàn
wrist
我手腕戴手錶。
Wǒ shǒuwàn dài shǒubiǎo.
I wear a watch on my wrist.
手掌
shǒuzhǎng
palm (the whole palm area)
他的手掌很熱。
Tā de shǒuzhǎng hěn rè.
His palms are warm.
手背
shǒubèi
back of the hand
手背上有一個小傷口。
Shǒubèi shàng yǒu yí ge xiǎo shāngkǒu.
There’s a small cut on the back of my hand.
手指
shǒuzhǐ
finger
我手指被紙割到了。
Wǒ shǒuzhǐ bèi zhǐ gē dào le.
I got a paper cut on my finger.
大拇指
dà mǔ zhǐ
thumb
我用大拇指按讚。
Wǒ yòng dà mǔ zhǐ àn zàn.
I use my thumb to “like.”
食指
shízhǐ
index finger
不要用食指指人。
Búyào yòng shízhǐ zhǐ rén.
Don’t point at people with your index finger.
中指
zhōngzhǐ
middle finger
他中指貼了OK繃。
Tā zhōngzhǐ tiē le OK bēng.
He put a bandage on his middle finger.
無名指
wúmíngzhǐ
ring finger
她把戒指戴在無名指上。
Tā bǎ jièzhǐ dài zài wúmíngzhǐ shàng.
She wears the ring on her ring finger.
小指
xiǎozhǐ
pinky
他小指很短。
Tā xiǎozhǐ hěn duǎn.
His pinky is short.
指甲
zhǐjiǎ
fingernail
記得剪指甲。
Jìde jiǎn zhǐjiǎ.
Remember to trim your nails.
掌心
zhǎngxīn
center of the palm
我掌心都出汗了。
Wǒ zhǎngxīn dōu chūhàn le.
My palms are sweaty.
指紋
zhǐwén
fingerprint
手機用指紋解鎖。
Shǒujī yòng zhǐwén jiěsuǒ.
The phone unlocks with a fingerprint.
關節
guānjié
joint
天氣變冷,我的關節會痛。
Tiānqì biàn lěng, wǒ de guānjié huì tòng.
When it gets cold, my joints hurt.

Torso & hips

TraditionalPinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
肚子
dùzi
belly / stomach (casual)
我肚子餓了。
Wǒ dùzi è le.
I’m hungry (literally: my belly is hungry).
腹部
fùbù
abdomen (more formal)
這個動作要收緊腹部。
Zhège dòngzuò yào shōu jǐn fùbù.
This movement requires tightening your abdomen.
肚臍
dùqí
belly button
你的肚臍周圍要保持乾淨。
Nǐ de dùqí zhōuwéi yào bǎochí gānjìng.
Keep the area around your belly button clean.
屁股
pìgǔ
butt (casual)
坐久了屁股好麻。
Zuò jiǔ le pìgǔ hǎo má.
After sitting too long, my butt is numb.
臀部
túnbù
hips / buttocks (more formal)
深蹲會訓練臀部。
Shēndūn huì xùnliàn túnbù.
Squats train your glutes/hips.

Legs & feet

TraditionalPinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
大腿
dàtuǐ
thigh
我大腿有點酸。
Wǒ dàtuǐ yǒudiǎn suān.
My thighs are a bit sore.
膝蓋
xīgài
knee
他膝蓋擦傷了。
Tā xīgài cāshāng le.
He scraped his knee.
小腿
xiǎotuǐ
calf / lower leg
我小腿抽筋。
Wǒ xiǎotuǐ chōujīn.
I have a calf cramp.
腳踝
jiǎohuái
ankle
我腳踝腫了。
Wǒ jiǎohuái zhǒng le.
My ankle is swollen.
腳跟
jiǎogēn
heel
鞋子磨到腳跟。
Xiézi mó dào jiǎogēn.
The shoes are rubbing my heel.
腳趾
jiǎozhǐ
toe
我的腳趾撞到了。
Wǒ de jiǎozhǐ zhuàng dào le.
I stubbed my toe.
腳掌
jiǎozhǎng
sole of the foot
走太久腳掌會痛。
Zǒu tài jiǔ jiǎozhǎng huì tòng.
If I walk too long, my soles hurt.
腳背
jiǎobèi
top of the foot
蚊子叮了我的腳背。
Wénzi dīng le wǒ de jiǎobèi.
A mosquito bit the top of my foot.

Skin & “inside parts” you hear a lot

TraditionalPinyinMeaning (EN)Example (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
皮膚
pífū
skin
這個乳液對皮膚很好。
Zhège rǔyè duì pífū hěn hǎo.
This lotion is great for skin.
骨頭
gǔtou
bone
摔倒後要確認骨頭有沒有受傷。
Shuāidǎo hòu yào quèrèn gǔtou yǒu méiyǒu shòushāng.
After falling, check whether any bones are injured.
肌肉
jīròu
muscle
我運動完肌肉很酸。
Wǒ yùndòng wán jīròu hěn suān.
After exercising, my muscles are sore.
xuè
blood
看到血我有點怕。
Kàn dào xuè wǒ yǒudiǎn pà.
I’m a bit scared when I see blood.
血管
xuèguǎn
blood vessel
醫生說要保護血管。
Yīshēng shuō yào bǎohù xuèguǎn.
The doctor said to protect your blood vessels.
心臟
xīnzàng
heart
跑步時心臟跳很快。
Pǎobù shí xīnzàng tiào hěn kuài.
When I run, my heart beats fast.
fèi
lungs
抽菸對肺不好。
Chōuyān duì fèi bù hǎo.
Smoking is bad for your lungs.
wèi
stomach (organ)
我胃不舒服。
Wǒ wèi bù shūfu.
My stomach feels unwell.
腸子
chángzi
intestines (casual)
吃壞肚子,腸子會不舒服。
Chī huài dùzi, chángzi huì bù shūfu.
If you eat something bad, your intestines feel upset.
gān
liver
少喝酒,對肝比較好。
Shǎo hē jiǔ, duì gān bǐjiào hǎo.
Drink less alcohol; it’s better for your liver.
shèn
kidneys
多喝水對腎有幫助。
Duō hē shuǐ duì shèn yǒu bāngzhù.
Drinking more water helps your kidneys.
nǎo
brain
睡不夠,腦會變慢。
Shuì bù gòu, nǎo huì biàn màn.
If you don’t sleep enough, your brain slows down.

Section 3: Variants & measure words (so you sound human)

What you’ll hearPinyinMeaning / When to useExample (ZH)Translation (EN)Audio
嘴 / 嘴巴
zuǐ / zuǐba
Both mean “mouth.” 嘴巴 is extra common in daily speech.
他說話很快,嘴巴停不下來。
Tā shuōhuà hěn kuài, zuǐba tíng bù xià lái.
He talks fast—his mouth won’t stop.
脖子 / 頸
bózi / jǐng
脖子 is everyday. 頸 feels more formal (you’ll see it in signs/medical talk).
我脖子卡卡的,想伸展一下。
Wǒ bózi kǎ kǎ de, xiǎng shēnzhǎn yíxià.
My neck feels stiff; I want to stretch.
肚子 / 胃
dùzi / wèi
肚子 = belly (casual). 胃 = the stomach organ (more specific).
我肚子不舒服,但不是胃痛。
Wǒ dùzi bù shūfu, dàn bú shì wèitòng.
My belly feels off, but it’s not stomach-organ pain.
屁股 / 臀部
pìgǔ / túnbù
屁股 is casual. 臀部 is more polite/formal (gyms, clinics).
深蹲做多了,屁股超酸。
Shēndūn zuò duō le, pìgǔ chāo suān.
Too many squats—my butt is super sore.
痛 / 疼
tòng / téng
Both “hurt.” 痛 often sounds stronger; 疼 is super common with body parts.
我手肘很疼,先不要碰。
Wǒ shǒuzhǒu hěn téng, xiān búyào pèng.
My elbow really hurts—don’t touch it yet.
一雙眼睛
yì shuāng yǎnjīng
“A pair of eyes.” Very natural phrasing.
他有一雙很漂亮的眼睛。
Tā yǒu yì shuāng hěn piàoliang de yǎnjīng.
He has a very pretty pair of eyes.
一顆牙齒
yì kē yáchǐ
“One tooth.” 顆 is the common measure word here.
我有一顆牙齒在痛。
Wǒ yǒu yì kē yáchǐ zài tòng.
One of my teeth hurts.
一根手指
yì gēn shǒuzhǐ
“One finger.” 根 is common for long, thin things.
我只割到一根手指。
Wǒ zhǐ gē dào yì gēn shǒuzhǐ.
I only cut one finger.
一條腿
yì tiáo tuǐ
“One leg.” 條 is common for long things (legs, roads, fish… welcome to classifiers).
他一條腿受傷了,走路很慢。
Tā yì tiáo tuǐ shòushāng le, zǒulù hěn màn.
One of his legs is injured, so he walks slowly.
Yak Snark: If you can say “我膝蓋痛” and “我扭到腳踝了,” congratulations—you’re officially harder to ignore at a clinic. Use your powers responsibly.