Chinese Health Vocabulary — Words for the Doctor and the Body
Talking about health is one of those things you hope you never need in another language — and are very glad to know when you do. This page collects essential Chinese health and medical vocabulary, from 病人 (patient) and 感染 (infection) to 受伤 (injury) and 恶心 (nausea), each with its English meaning, its pronunciation and a button to hear it spoken in a native voice. A note for English speakers: Mandarin is a tonal language, which means the same syllable said at a different pitch is a completely different word. There are four main tones plus a light neutral one, and getting them wrong is the most common way to be misunderstood — so for Chinese above all, hearing a word isn't optional, it's the whole game. Chinese is written in characters rather than an alphabet, but you don't need to write them to start speaking; the spoken form carries the sound. The grammar is refreshingly simple, too — no verb conjugations, no plurals, no genders. Tap any 🔊 to hear the tone, skim the table, then take these words into Linguver, where the English word drops and you shoot its Chinese translation from the drum.
Key words explained
- patient 病人 The doctor saw her last patient just before closing.
- illness 疾病 A long illness kept him out of school for weeks.
- disease 病 Washing your hands helps stop the spread of disease.
- infection 感染 The cut turned red, a clear sign of infection.
- injury 受伤 A knee injury ended her season early.
- fracture 骨折 The X-ray showed a small fracture in his wrist.
- scar 疤痕 He still has a faint scar from the accident.
- nausea 恶心 A wave of nausea hit me on the boat.
All 90 Chinese health words
| English | Pronunciation | Chinese | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| surgeon | /ˈsɜːrdʒən/ | 外科医生 | |
| patient | /ˈpeɪʃənt/ | 病人 | |
| fracture | /ˈfræktʃər/ | 骨折 | |
| scar | /skɑːr/ | 疤痕 | |
| rash | /ræʃ/ | 皮疹 | |
| nausea | /ˈnɔːziə/ | 恶心 | |
| sprain | /spreɪn/ | 扭伤 | |
| blister | /ˈblɪstər/ | 水疱 | |
| malnutrition | /ˌmælnjuːˈtrɪʃən/ | 营养不良 | |
| illness | /ˈɪlnəs/ | 疾病 | |
| disease | /dɪˈziːz/ | 病 | |
| infection | /ɪnˈfɛkʃən/ | 感染 | |
| injury | /ˈɪndʒəri/ | 受伤 | |
| obesity | /oʊˈbiːsɪti/ | 肥胖 | |
| stroke | /stroʊk/ | 中风 | |
| arthritis | /ɑːrˈθraɪtɪs/ | 关节炎 | |
| insomnia | /ɪnˈsɑːmniə/ | 失眠 | |
| trauma | /ˈtrɔːmə/ | 创伤 | |
| addiction | /əˈdɪkʃən/ | 成瘾 | |
| seizure | /ˈsiːʒər/ | 发作 | |
| chronic | /ˈkrɑːnɪk/ | 慢性 | |
| depression | /dɪˈprɛʃən/ | 抑郁症 | |
| diabetes | /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtɪs/ | 糖尿病 | |
| prescription | /prɪˈskrɪpʃən/ | 处方 | |
| dose | /doʊs/ | 剂量 | |
| ward | /wɔːrd/ | 病房 | |
| pulse | /pʌls/ | 脉搏 | |
| blood pressure | /ˈblʌd ˈprɛʃər/ | 血压 | |
| emergency | /ɪˈmɜːrdʒənsi/ | 紧急情况 | |
| recover | /rɪˈkʌvər/ | 恢复 | |
| scan | /skæn/ | 扫描 | |
| X-ray | /ˈɛksreɪ/ | X光 | |
| operation | /ˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/ | 手术 | |
| stitches | /ˈstɪtʃɪz/ | 缝合线 | |
| cast | /kæst/ | 石膏绷带 | |
| therapy | /ˈθɛrəpi/ | 疗法 | |
| counselling | /ˈkaʊnsəlɪŋ/ | 心理咨询 | |
| GP | /ˌdʒiːˈpiː/ | 全科医生 | |
| specialist | /ˈspɛʃəlɪst/ | 专科医生 | |
| referral | /rɪˈfɜːrəl/ | 转诊 | |
| discharge | /ˈdɪstʃɑːrdʒ/ | 出院 | |
| first aid | /ˈfɜːrst eɪd/ | 急救 | |
| CPR | /ˌsiːpiːˈɑːr/ | 心肺复苏 | |
| stretcher | /ˈstrɛtʃər/ | 担架 | |
| transplant | /ˈtrænsplænt/ | 移植 | |
| donor | /ˈdoʊnər/ | 捐献者 | |
| organ | /ˈɔːrɡən/ | 器官 | |
| defibrillator | /dɪˈfɪbrɪleɪtər/ | 除颤器 | |
| consultant | /kənˈsʌltənt/ | 顾问医师 | |
| anaesthetic | /ˌænɪsˈθɛtɪk/ | 麻醉 | |
| painkiller | /ˈpeɪnkɪlər/ | 止痛药 | |
| antibiotic | /ˌæntɪbaɪˈɑːtɪk/ | 抗生素 | |
| crutch | /krʌtʃ/ | 拐杖 | |
| thermometer | /θərˈmɑːmɪtər/ | 温度计 | |
| paramedic | /ˌpærəˈmɛdɪk/ | 急救人员 | |
| midwife | /ˈmɪdwaɪf/ | 助产士 | |
| sanitation | /ˌsænɪˈteɪʃən/ | 卫生设施 | |
| contagious | /kənˈteɪdʒəs/ | 传染性 | |
| epidemic | /ˌɛpɪˈdɛmɪk/ | 流行病 | |
| outbreak | /ˈaʊtbreɪk/ | 爆发 | |
| hydration | /haɪˈdreɪʃən/ | 补水 | |
| flexibility | /ˌflɛksɪˈbɪlɪti/ | 灵活性 | |
| stamina | /ˈstæmɪnə/ | 耐力 | |
| ageing | /ˈeɪdʒɪŋ/ | 老化 | |
| prevention | /prɪˈvɛnʃən/ | 预防 | |
| vaccination | /ˌvæksɪˈneɪʃən/ | 接种疫苗 | |
| screening | /ˈskriːnɪŋ/ | 筛查 | |
| dental | /ˈdɛntəl/ | 牙科 | |
| vision | /ˈvɪʒən/ | 视力 | |
| hearing | /ˈhɪərɪŋ/ | 听力 | |
| mental health | /ˈmɛntəl hɛlθ/ | 心理健康 | |
| wellbeing | /ˈwɛlbiːɪŋ/ | 幸福感 | |
| lifestyle | /ˈlaɪfstaɪl/ | 生活方式 | |
| habit | /ˈhæbɪt/ | 习惯 | |
| routine | /ruːˈtiːn/ | 日常规律 | |
| rehabilitation | /ˌriːəˌbɪlɪˈteɪʃən/ | 康复治疗 | |
| mobility | /moʊˈbɪlɪti/ | 活动能力 | |
| disability | /ˌdɪsəˈbɪlɪti/ | 残疾 | |
| supplement | /ˈsʌplɪmənt/ | 补充剂 | |
| physiotherapy | /ˌfɪzioʊˈθɛrəpi/ | 物理治疗 | |
| overweight | /ˌoʊvərˈweɪt/ | 超重 | |
| strength | /strɛŋθ/ | 力量 | |
| fatigue | /fəˈtiːɡ/ | 疲劳 | |
| meditation | /ˌmɛdɪˈteɪʃən/ | 冥想 | |
| relaxation | /ˌriːlækˈseɪʃən/ | 放松 | |
| balance | /ˈbæləns/ | 平衡 | |
| inflammation | /ˌɪnfləˈmeɪʃən/ | 炎症 | |
| digestion | /daɪˈdʒɛstʃən/ | 消化 | |
| circulation | /ˌsɜːrkjʊˈleɪʃən/ | 血液循环 | |
| lifespan | /ˈlaɪfspæn/ | 寿命 |
Reading a list won't make these stick. Linguver turns vocabulary into a shooting game — the English word falls, you spin the drum and fire its Chinese translation. You recall the word under a little pressure, so it stays. A way to learn that doesn't feel like studying.
→ Play in Linguver