Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Body, Health, and Medical Words in Chinese
身体、健康与医疗词汇 shēntǐ, jiànkāng yǔ yīliáo cíhuì
Before we get into the vocab, here are two body-part expressions worth knowing. 小鼻子小眼睛 (xiǎo bízi xiǎo yǎnjing) literally means “small nose, small eyes,” and it’s used to describe someone who’s petty or narrow-minded — fussing over tiny, insignificant things.
胳膊往外弯 (gēbo wǎng wài wān) literally means “the arm bends outward.” It describes someone who sides with outsiders instead of their own family, friends, or team — the kind of person who, in an argument, unexpectedly takes the other side’s part.
From head to toe
Body Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鼻子 | bízi | Nose | 코 | 鼻 |
| 肚子 | dùzi | Stomach; belly | 배 | お腹 |
| 胳膊 | gēbo | Arm | 팔 | 腕 |
| 皮肤 | pífū | Skin | 피부 | 皮膚 |
| 全身 | quánshēn | Whole body | 전신 | 全身 |
| 身 | shēn | Body | 몸 | 体 |
| 血 | xiě | Blood | 피 | 血 |
| 心 | xīn | Heart | 심장 | 心 |
Putting it all together
Examples
我今天肚子很痛，可能需要看醫生我今天肚子很痛，可能需要看医生 My stomach really hurts today, I might need to see a doctor.
他昨天在打球的時候受傷了他昨天在打球的时候受伤了 He got injured yesterday while playing ball.
Feeling under the weather
Health and Medical Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 打针 | dǎzhēn | To get an injection; to get a shot | 주사를 맞다 | 注射する |
| 大夫 | dàifu | Doctor | 의사 | 医者 |
| 汗 | hàn | Sweat | 땀 | 汗 |
| 护士 | hùshi | Nurse | 간호사 | 看護師 |
| 咳 | ké | To cough | 기침하다 | 咳する |
| 咳嗽 | késou | To cough; cough | 기침 | 咳 |
| 困 | kùn | Sleepy; tired | 졸린 | 眠い |
| 力气 | lìqi | Strength; physical strength | 힘 | 力 |
| 受伤 | shòushāng | To get injured; be injured | 다치다 | 怪我する |
| 体检 | tǐjiǎn | Physical examination; medical check-up | 건강검진 | 健康診断 |
| 体温 | tǐwēn | Body temperature | 체온 | 体温 |
| 体重 | tǐzhòng | Body weight | 체중 | 体重 |
| 痛 | tòng | Painful; to hurt | 아픈 | 痛い |
| 头痛 | tóutòng | Headache; to have a headache | 두통 | 頭痛 |
| 卫生 | wèishēng | Hygiene; sanitary | 위생 | 衛生 |
咳 vs 咳嗽
咳 (ké) is a single, quick cough, while 咳嗽 (késou) refers to coughing as an ongoing symptom — like when you have a cold and can’t stop coughing.
护士 vs 护理师
These days, as nurses’ rights and professional status get more recognition in Taiwan, many workplaces have replaced 护士 with 护理师 (hùlǐshī) as the official job title instead.
Putting it all together
Examples
護士叫我先量體溫跟體重护士叫我先量体温跟体重 The nurse told me to measure my temperature and weight first.
我一直咳嗽，而且頭很痛我一直咳嗽，而且头很痛 I keep coughing, and my head really hurts too.
Test yourself
Vocabulary Quiz
