Chinese Health Vocabulary for Beginners

Learn health vocabulary in simplified Chinese: 健康词汇 jiànkāng cíhuì, with pinyin, meanings, and real-life sentences you can actually use.

Health vocabulary is the kind of Chinese that suddenly becomes very important the moment your body decides to be dramatic. You do not need to memorize a medical dictionary, but you do need the common words.

This guide gives you high-utility simplified Chinese words for symptoms, medicine, doctors, and healthy habits. Every entry includes hanzi, pinyin, English meaning, and a real sentence, because random word lists are only slightly more useful than shouting “help” at a bottle of vitamins.

A Fast Reality Check

In English, people say “I’m sick,” “I have a fever,” or “I need medicine.” In Chinese, the same idea is usually very direct too. That is good news for beginners. The grammar is friendly. Your immune system might not be, but the grammar is.

Core Health Words You Will Use A Lot

健康 jiànkāng

health; healthy

他很健康。 Tā hěn jiànkāng. He is very healthy.

生病 shēngbìng

to get sick; to be ill

我昨天生病了。 Wǒ zuótiān shēngbìng le. I got sick yesterday.

医生 yīshēng

doctor

我想看医生。 Wǒ xiǎng kàn yīshēng. I want to see a doctor.

医院 yīyuàn

hospital

附近有医院吗？ Fùjìn yǒu yīyuàn ma? Is there a hospital nearby?

药 yào

medicine

你吃药了吗？ Nǐ chī yào le ma? Did you take medicine?

休息 xiūxi

to rest

你需要多休息。 Nǐ xūyào duō xiūxi. You need more rest.

Useful Health Phrases For Real Life

我不舒服 wǒ bù shūfu — I do not feel well
我今天不舒服。 Wǒ jīntiān bù shūfu. I do not feel well today.
我感冒了 wǒ gǎnmào le — I have a cold
我好像感冒了。 Wǒ hǎoxiàng gǎnmào le. I think I have a cold.
我发烧了 wǒ fāshāo le — I have a fever
我昨晚发烧了。 Wǒ zuówǎn fāshāo le. I had a fever last night.
我头疼 wǒ tóuténg — I have a headache
我今天一直头疼。 Wǒ jīntiān yìzhí tóuténg. I have had a headache all day.
我咳嗽 wǒ késou — I am coughing
我晚上一直咳嗽。 Wǒ wǎnshang yìzhí késou. I keep coughing at night.
我喉咙痛 wǒ hóulóng tòng — My throat hurts
我喝水的时候喉咙痛。 Wǒ hē shuǐ de shíhou hóulóng tòng. My throat hurts when I drink water.
我肚子疼 wǒ dùzi téng — My stomach hurts
我吃完以后肚子疼。 Wǒ chī wán yǐhòu dùzi téng. My stomach hurts after eating.
我需要去医院 wǒ xūyào qù yīyuàn — I need to go to the hospital
他觉得自己需要去医院。 Tā juéde zìjǐ xūyào qù yīyuàn. He thinks he needs to go to the hospital.
请帮我叫医生 qǐng bāng wǒ jiào yīshēng — Please get a doctor for me
请帮我叫医生，我很难受。 Qǐng bāng wǒ jiào yīshēng, wǒ hěn nánshòu. Please get a doctor for me, I feel awful.
这个药怎么吃？ zhège yào zěnme chī? — How do I take this medicine?
这个药怎么吃？一天几次？ Zhège yào zěnme chī? Yì tiān jǐ cì? How do I take this medicine? How many times a day?
我对这个药过敏 wǒ duì zhège yào guòmǐn — I am allergic to this medicine
我对这个药过敏，请换一种。 Wǒ duì zhège yào guòmǐn, qǐng huàn yì zhǒng. I am allergic to this medicine, please change it.
我要量体温 wǒ yào liáng tǐwēn — I want to check my temperature
先量体温吧。 Xiān liáng tǐwēn ba. Let’s check your temperature first.

Health Vocabulary By Topic

Symptoms And Feelings

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
不舒服	bù shūfu	unwell	我今天不舒服。	Wǒ jīntiān bù shūfu.	I do not feel well today.
疼	téng	to hurt; painful	我的腿很疼。	Wǒ de tuǐ hěn téng.	My leg hurts a lot.
痛	tòng	pain; ache	这里有点痛。	Zhèlǐ yǒudiǎn tòng.	It hurts a little here.
发烧	fāshāo	to have a fever	孩子发烧了。	Háizi fāshāo le.	The child has a fever.
感冒	gǎnmào	cold	我可能感冒了。	Wǒ kěnéng gǎnmào le.	I might have a cold.
咳嗽	késou	to cough	他晚上总是咳嗽。	Tā wǎnshang zǒngshì késou.	He always coughs at night.
头疼	tóuténg	headache	我工作太久就会头疼。	Wǒ gōngzuò tài jiǔ jiù huì tóuténg.	I get a headache when I work too long.
喉咙痛	hóulóng tòng	sore throat	我早上喉咙痛。	Wǒ zǎoshang hóulóng tòng.	My throat hurt this morning.
流鼻涕	liú bítì	runny nose	我一直流鼻涕。	Wǒ yìzhí liú bítì.	My nose keeps running.
鼻塞	bísè	stuffy nose	晚上鼻塞很难睡。	Wǎnshang bísè hěn nán shuì.	It is hard to sleep with a stuffy nose at night.
发冷	fālěng	to feel chilly	我发烧的时候会发冷。	Wǒ fāshāo de shíhou huì fālěng.	I feel chilly when I have a fever.
累	lèi	tired	我最近很累。	Wǒ zuìjìn hěn lèi.	I have been very tired lately.
恶心	ěxin	nauseous	我坐车的时候很恶心。	Wǒ zuò chē de shíhou hěn ěxin.	I feel nauseous when I ride in cars.
头晕	tóuyūn	dizzy	我站起来的时候有点头晕。	Wǒ zhàn qǐlái de shíhou yǒudiǎn tóuyūn.	I feel a bit dizzy when I stand up.
难受	nánshòu	to feel bad; uncomfortable	我今天特别难受。	Wǒ jīntiān tèbié nánshòu.	I feel especially bad today.

Body Parts Often Mentioned In Health Talk

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
头	tóu	head	我的头很热。	Wǒ de tóu hěn rè.	My head feels hot.
眼睛	yǎnjing	eyes	我的眼睛不舒服。	Wǒ de yǎnjing bù shūfu.	My eyes do not feel well.
鼻子	bízi	nose	我的鼻子不通气。	Wǒ de bízi bù tōngqì.	My nose is blocked.
嘴	zuǐ	mouth	张开嘴。	Zhāngkāi zuǐ.	Open your mouth.
喉咙	hóulóng	throat	我的喉咙很干。	Wǒ de hóulóng hěn gān.	My throat is very dry.
牙	yá	tooth	我的牙很痛。	Wǒ de yá hěn tòng.	My tooth hurts a lot.
肩膀	jiānbǎng	shoulder	我的肩膀很酸。	Wǒ de jiānbǎng hěn suān.	My shoulders feel sore.
背	bèi	back	我坐太久，背疼。	Wǒ zuò tài jiǔ, bèi téng.	My back hurts because I sat too long.
肚子	dùzi	stomach; belly	我的肚子不太舒服。	Wǒ de dùzi bù tài shūfu.	My stomach does not feel very good.
手	shǒu	hand	洗手很重要。	Xǐ shǒu hěn zhòngyào.	Washing your hands is important.
腿	tuǐ	leg	我的腿有点疼。	Wǒ de tuǐ yǒudiǎn téng.	My leg hurts a little.
脚	jiǎo	foot	我的脚肿了。	Wǒ de jiǎo zhǒng le.	My foot is swollen.

Medical People, Places, And Tools

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
医生	yīshēng	doctor	医生来了。	Yīshēng lái le.	The doctor is here.
护士	hùshi	nurse	护士很亲切。	Hùshi hěn qīnqiè.	The nurse is very kind.
病人	bìngrén	patient	病人在休息。	Bìngrén zài xiūxi.	The patient is resting.
医院	yīyuàn	hospital	这家医院很大。	Zhè jiā yīyuàn hěn dà.	This hospital is very big.
药店	yàodiàn	pharmacy	药店在医院旁边。	Yàodiàn zài yīyuàn pángbiān.	The pharmacy is next to the hospital.
急诊	jízhěn	emergency room	他马上去了急诊。	Tā mǎshàng qù le jízhěn.	He went to the emergency room right away.
预约	yùyuē	appointment; to book	我预约了明天看医生。	Wǒ yùyuē le míngtiān kàn yīshēng.	I booked a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow.
检查	jiǎnchá	checkup; examination	医生要给你做检查。	Yīshēng yào gěi nǐ zuò jiǎnchá.	The doctor will examine you.
体温计	tǐwēnjì	thermometer	先用体温计量一下。	Xiān yòng tǐwēnjì liáng yíxià.	Use the thermometer first.
口罩	kǒuzhào	mask	在医院里请戴口罩。	Zài yīyuàn lǐ qǐng dài kǒuzhào.	Please wear a mask in the hospital.

Medicine, Treatment, And Actions

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
药	yào	medicine	这个药很有效。	Zhège yào hěn yǒuxiào.	This medicine is very effective.
吃药	chī yào	to take medicine	别忘了吃药。	Bié wàng le chī yào.	Do not forget to take your medicine.
打针	dǎzhēn	to get an injection	孩子怕打针。	Háizi pà dǎzhēn.	The child is afraid of injections.
住院	zhùyuàn	to be hospitalized	他要住院两天。	Tā yào zhùyuàn liǎng tiān.	He needs to stay in the hospital for two days.
看病	kànbìng	to see a doctor; get treatment	我下午去看病。	Wǒ xiàwǔ qù kànbìng.	I am going to see a doctor this afternoon.
量体温	liáng tǐwēn	to take temperature	先量体温再说。	Xiān liáng tǐwēn zài shuō.	Let’s take your temperature first.
消毒	xiāodú	to disinfect	医生先给伤口消毒。	Yīshēng xiān gěi shāngkǒu xiāodú.	The doctor disinfects the wound first.
包扎	bāozā	to bandage	护士帮他包扎了手。	Hùshi bāng tā bāozā le shǒu.	The nurse bandaged his hand.
吃早餐	chī zǎocān	to eat breakfast	每天吃早餐比较健康。	Měitiān chī zǎocān bǐjiào jiànkāng.	Eating breakfast every day is healthier.
锻炼	duànliàn	to exercise	我每周锻炼三次。	Wǒ měi zhōu duànliàn sān cì.	I exercise three times a week.

Healthy Habits And Wellness Words

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
健康	jiànkāng	healthy; health	健康很重要。	Jiànkāng hěn zhòngyào.	Health is important.
休息	xiūxi	to rest	周末我要好好休息。	Zhōumò wǒ yào hǎohāo xiūxi.	I want to rest well this weekend.
睡觉	shuìjiào	to sleep	你应该早点睡觉。	Nǐ yīnggāi zǎodiǎn shuìjiào.	You should sleep earlier.
早睡早起	zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ	sleep early, get up early	早睡早起对身体好。	Zǎo shuì zǎo qǐ duì shēntǐ hǎo.	Sleeping early and getting up early is good for your body.
多喝水	duō hē shuǐ	drink more water	感冒的时候要多喝水。	Gǎnmào de shíhou yào duō hē shuǐ.	You should drink more water when you have a cold.
饮食	yǐnshí	diet; food habits	你的饮食要清淡一点。	Nǐ de yǐnshí yào qīngdàn yìdiǎn.	Your diet should be lighter.
蔬菜	shūcài	vegetables	多吃蔬菜比较健康。	Duō chī shūcài bǐjiào jiànkāng.	Eating more vegetables is healthier.
水果	shuǐguǒ	fruit	我每天都吃水果。	Wǒ měitiān dōu chī shuǐguǒ.	I eat fruit every day.
维生素	wéishēngsù	vitamin	这种食物有很多维生素。	Zhè zhǒng shíwù yǒu hěn duō wéishēngsù.	This food has a lot of vitamins.
压力	yālì	stress; pressure	最近工作压力很大。	Zuìjìn gōngzuò yālì hěn dà.	Work has been very stressful lately.
放松	fàngsōng	to relax	周末我想放松一下。	Zhōumò wǒ xiǎng fàngsōng yíxià.	I want to relax a bit this weekend.

Common Problems And Useful Extra Words

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
过敏	guòmǐn	allergic; allergy	我对花粉过敏。	Wǒ duì huāfěn guòmǐn.	I am allergic to pollen.
拉肚子	lā dùzi	to have diarrhea	他吃坏了，开始拉肚子。	Tā chī huài le, kāishǐ lā dùzi.	He ate something bad and started having diarrhea.
便秘	biànmì	constipation	最近他有点便秘。	Zuìjìn tā yǒudiǎn biànmì.	He has been a little constipated lately.
伤口	shāngkǒu	wound	这个伤口要保持干净。	Zhège shāngkǒu yào bǎochí gānjìng.	This wound needs to stay clean.
流血	liúxuè	to bleed	他的手在流血。	Tā de shǒu zài liúxuè.	His hand is bleeding.
骨折	gǔzhé	fracture; broken bone	医生说他的腿骨折了。	Yīshēng shuō tā de tuǐ gǔzhé le.	The doctor said his leg is broken.
严重	yánzhòng	serious	这个问题不太严重。	Zhège wèntí bù tài yánzhòng.	This problem is not too serious.
恢复	huīfù	to recover	我希望你早点恢复。	Wǒ xīwàng nǐ zǎodiǎn huīfù.	I hope you recover soon.
传染	chuánrǎn	contagious; to infect	这种病会传染。	Zhè zhǒng bìng huì chuánrǎn.	This illness is contagious.
症状	zhèngzhuàng	symptom	你的症状是什么？	Nǐ de zhèngzhuàng shì shénme?	What are your symptoms?

Useful Variants And Easy Patterns

Pattern	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
我 + 身体部位 + 疼	My body part hurts	我肚子疼。	Wǒ dùzi téng.	My stomach hurts.
我 + 不舒服	I do not feel well	我有点不舒服。	Wǒ yǒudiǎn bù shūfu.	I feel a little unwell.
我 + 生病了	I got sick	我这周生病了。	Wǒ zhè zhōu shēngbìng le.	I got sick this week.
我需要 + 名词 / 动作	I need something / need to do something	我需要休息。	Wǒ xūyào xiūxi.	I need rest.
请 + 动词	Please do…	请帮我。	Qǐng bāng wǒ.	Please help me.
这个药 + 怎么 + 动词	How do I use this medicine?	这个药怎么吃？	Zhège yào zěnme chī?	How do I take this medicine?

Common Mistakes And Quick Fixes

疼 téng and 痛 tòng both relate to pain. In beginner speech, both are common, and you will hear them a lot. Do not freeze like your brain just got unplugged.
看病 kànbìng means to see a doctor or get medical treatment. 看医生 kàn yīshēng is also common and very clear.
吃药 chī yào literally says “eat medicine,” but it means “take medicine.” Chinese does not care that English wants to sound fancier here.
不舒服 bù shūfu is wonderfully useful. It can mean unwell, uncomfortable, or just “something is off.”
肚子 dùzi is the everyday word for belly or stomach. It shows up constantly in spoken Chinese.

Quick Practice

Try saying these out loud. Yes, out loud. Silent practice is nice, but your mouth also needs a meeting.

我头疼。 Wǒ tóuténg. — I have a headache.
我需要休息。 Wǒ xūyào xiūxi. — I need rest.
请帮我叫医生。 Qǐng bāng wǒ jiào yīshēng. — Please get a doctor for me.
这个药怎么吃？ Zhège yào zěnme chī? — How do I take this medicine?
我对花粉过敏。 Wǒ duì huāfěn guòmǐn. — I am allergic to pollen.

Yak Tip

If you can remember just five survival phrases, make them these: 不舒服 bù shūfu, 疼 téng, 医生 yīshēng, 药 yào, and 休息 xiūxi. That tiny set already covers a surprising amount of real life.

Quick Reference Summary

健康 jiànkāng — healthy; health
生病 shēngbìng — to get sick
不舒服 bù shūfu — unwell
发烧 fāshāo — to have a fever
感冒 gǎnmào — cold
咳嗽 késou — to cough
头疼 tóuténg — headache
肚子疼 dùzi téng — stomachache
医生 yīshēng — doctor
医院 yīyuàn — hospital
药 yào — medicine
吃药 chī yào — to take medicine
休息 xiūxi — to rest
多喝水 duō hē shuǐ — drink more water
锻炼 duànliàn — to exercise

Final Yak Box

You do not need perfect Chinese to talk about health. Start with the practical words, repeat the sentence patterns, and aim for clear communication. Fluency can show off later. Feeling better comes first.