Traditional Chinese course

Lesson 106 of 240

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Telling the doctor in Traditional Chinese

A cold has interrupted Maya's usual morning, so she visits Dr. Chen's clinic across the lane. He listens carefully and asks about her symptoms.

Learn how to describe a fever, a cough, when it began, and whether it is getting worse. You can also ask how long recovery might take.

Notice how the sentences give the doctor useful details. The visit stays calm, even with A-Li's unfinished drink waiting back at the breakfast shop.

By the end of this lesson

Describe your symptoms, say how long you have had them and whether they are worsening, and ask how long recovery may take.

  • 我發燒了I have a fever.
  • 我咳嗽兩天了I've had a cough for two days.
  • 我覺得好像感冒了I think I caught a cold.
  • 我什麼時候開始的When did I start coughing?
  • 越來越嚴重了It's getting worse.
  • 大概要多久才會好？About how long until it gets better?

Scene — at the neighborhood clinic

Maya visits Dr. Chen's clinic across Banyan Lane after waking up with a fever and a cough. Dr. Chen listens calmly and asks three questions about her symptoms.

Maya explains how long she has been coughing and says things are getting worse. Dr. Chen writes a short note in two lines; the fortune slip at the breakfast shop remains a mystery.

Maya has arrived at Dr. Chen’s clinic and stands small near the door while Dr. Chen waits by the examination couch.

Learn — describe your symptoms

These six useful lines help you explain an illness to a doctor. Start with your symptoms, add how long they have lasted, and say if things are getting worse.

Listen to each line, then practise saying it clearly.

  1. Maya sits on the examination couch and holds a palm to the head to show a fever while Dr. Chen listens.

    我發燒了

    I have a fever.

    When to use it: Tell a doctor or someone helping you that you have a fever.

    Here, 了 marks the fever as a new or current condition.

  2. Maya coughs into an elbow on the examination couch while Dr. Chen listens from the foreground.

    我咳嗽兩天了

    I've had a cough for two days.

    When to use it: Use this to tell a doctor how long your cough has lasted.

    The final 了 shows the cough has continued up to now.

  3. Maya reaches toward a tissue on the side table while describing a cold.

    我覺得好像感冒了

    I think I caught a cold.

    When to use it: Say this when you think your symptoms may be a cold.

    好像 means something seems likely, without stating it as certain.

  4. Maya pauses on the examination couch and looks aside, trying to remember when the coughing started.

    我什麼時候開始的

    When did I start coughing?

    When to use it: Ask a doctor when you started coughing.

    The 的 at the end marks this as asking when something already happened.

    Say it: The final 的 is a light neutral tone.

  5. Maya sits forward and explains that the cough is getting worse while Dr. Chen stands and listens.

    越來越嚴重了

    It's getting worse.

    When to use it: Tell someone that your symptoms are getting worse.

  6. Maya asks how long until it gets better while Dr. Chen pauses with a pen, and a water pitcher sits sharp in the foreground.

    大概要多久才會好？

    About how long until it gets better?

    When to use it: Ask a doctor about the likely time until you feel better.

Story — Maya visits Dr. Chen

Maya visits Dr. Chen across Banyan Lane and explains that she feels unwell. He listens and asks three calm questions about her symptoms.

Maya shares how long she has been coughing, then asks when she started coughing and how long recovery might take.

  1. Maya您好。Hello, doctor.
  2. Dr. Chen怎麼了？What's wrong?
  3. Maya我覺得不舒服。I don't feel well.
  4. Dr. Chen咳嗽多久了？How long have you had a cough?
  5. Maya我咳嗽兩天了。I've had a cough for two days.
  6. Dr. Chen現在嚴重嗎？Is it bad now?
  7. Maya越來越嚴重了。It's getting worse.
  8. Dr. Chen有發燒嗎？Do you have a fever?
  9. Maya我發燒了。I have a fever.
  10. Dr. Chen是感冒嗎？Is it a cold?
  11. Maya我覺得好像感冒了。I think I caught a cold.
  12. Dr. Chen還想問什麼嗎？Anything else you want to ask?
  13. Maya我什麼時候開始的？When did I start coughing?
  14. Dr. Chen大概前天開始的。It probably started the day before yesterday.
  15. Maya大概要多久才會好？About how long until it gets better?
  16. Dr. Chen listens, then writes a short note in two lines.
  17. Dr. Chen先休息，多喝水。Rest for now and drink plenty of water.

Practice — explain how you feel

Try eight exercises to describe symptoms and understand a doctor's questions. Choose or build the line that fits the situation.

Check each explanation, then say the useful sentence aloud before moving on.

0 of 8 done

  1. What does it mean?

    您好

  2. Build the line

    I have a fever.

    Tap the words in order.

  3. Fill the gap

    I've had a cough for two days.

    我____兩天了

  4. What do you say?

    Tell Dr. Chen that you think you caught a cold.

  5. What do you say?

    Ask Dr. Chen when you started coughing.

  6. What did you hear?

  7. What do you say?

    Ask Dr. Chen roughly how long it will take to feel better.

  8. Pick the reply

    Dr. Chen says:

    你覺得怎麼樣？

    How are you feeling?

    And you reply with:

Say it — talk with the doctor

You play Maya during her clinic visit. Listen to Dr. Chen's questions, then answer with a symptom or ask a useful question.

Say each line aloud at a comfortable pace. You can replay the doctor's line before taking your turn.

  1. Maya begins her visit with Dr. Chen.
  2. Dr. Chen怎麼了？What's wrong?
  3. Maya (you)Tell Dr. Chen that you do not feel well.

    我覺得不舒服

    I don't feel well.

0 of 7 said

Recap — what you can say now

Traditional ChineseEnglish
我發燒了I have a fever.
我咳嗽兩天了I've had a cough for two days.
我覺得好像感冒了I think I caught a cold.
我什麼時候開始的When did I start coughing?
越來越嚴重了It's getting worse.
大概要多久才會好？About how long until it gets better?
Next: lesson 107The doctor's questions

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

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Try describing a different symptom aloud to make the phrases easier to remember.

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