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Chinese Doctor and Health Phrases
Use these beginner Chinese health phrases to say you feel unwell, describe a headache, and ask for a doctor in a real situation.
At a clinic, two communication problems can occur at once: staff need to understand why you are there, and you need to understand what they ask you to do. Ask for suitable language support when instructions about medicines or care are unclear. State the problem, answer one question at a time, and ask for clarification when the meaning is uncertain.
Start with these phrases
This guide is for requesting professional help and keeping that conversation clear. The separate symptom guide practices descriptions of location, timing, and recurrence. Neither page diagnoses a condition, recommends medication, or replaces a qualified interpreter or clinician.
请写下来，我看不懂中文。
qǐng xiě xià lái, wǒ kàn bù dǒng zhōng wén.
Please write it down; I cannot read Chinese.
Opening the clinic conversation
- 我不舒服，想看医生。
This requests care. It is more specific at reception than repeating 医院, the name of a place.
- 哪里不舒服？
This asks where you feel unwell. A body location or symptom fits; yesterday answers a different question.
- 从什么时候开始的？
从 introduces a starting point. Give a time or date that matches your actual experience and clarify if it was approximate.
- 请写下来，我看不懂中文。
A written record can support further help. The second clause says you need help reading Chinese. Ask for an explanation of the written instructions.
What you might hear back
先到前台登记。
xiān dào qián tái dēng jì.
Register at reception first.
The sentence identifies an administrative next step, not a treatment.
从什么时候开始的？
cóng shén me shí hou kāi shǐ de?
When did it start?
Answer with the beginning of the problem. If the timing is uncertain, say so.
还有别的不舒服吗？
hái yǒu bié de bù shū fu ma?
Is anything else bothering you?
Describe any other symptoms you have noticed.
Registration and getting instructions explained
Asking to see a doctor is different from asking for directions
我不舒服，想看医生 says you feel unwell and want to see a doctor. 医院在哪里 asks where a hospital is. Choose the request that matches where you are: a receptionist needs to know you want care, while someone on the street may need a location question. Keep appointment or registration information available when relevant. A useful opening statement is short enough to leave room for staff's next question.
Where, when, and what kind are different questions
哪里不舒服 asks which part feels unwell. 从什么时候开始的 asks when the problem began. A reply such as 从昨天晚上开始的 answers time, not location. If the clinician asks a question you do not understand, repeating your opening sentence may not help. Ask them to repeat or use clearer language, and point to the body area or written date where appropriate. Do not guess an answer just to keep the conversation moving.
Do not confuse written with understood
请写下来 asks for a written version. A written version gives you something concrete to ask a clinician or interpreter to explain. Ask for the meaning to be explained with suitable language support. MedlinePlus recommends asking questions when you do not understand and requesting written instructions where needed. This is communication support, not a recommendation to act on an unverified machine translation.
Make known allergies and medicines specific
我对这个药过敏 means I am allergic to this medicine. Show the medicine's exact name, packaging, or verified record so 这个 has a clear reference. Report a known allergy as such; describe an unexplained reaction without guessing its medical classification. Tell the professional what you actually took or experienced and let them ask about the details.
A yes-or-no question still needs its topic
有没有 asks whether something is present or has occurred. In 有没有过敏, the topic is allergy; in 有没有带证件, it is whether you brought identification. Listen for the topic after 有没有 before answering. If the unfamiliar word is the important part, ask what it means before replying 有 or 没有. Those short answers can communicate a strong claim even when you have understood only the question's shape. Say 我不知道 when you lack the information, or 我没听懂 when you need the question explained.
Separate a request for help from a medical answer
我需要翻译 asks for language assistance. 我不知道 says you do not know the answer, while 我没听懂 says you did not understand what was said. Use the version that describes the actual difficulty. If you know the information but cannot express it, a written name, date, or verified record can help the conversation. If you do not know it, a fluent translation cannot fill the gap. Prepare these short requests before the visit so you can ask for clarification promptly.
Conversations
Finding the registration desk
The receptionist gives a registration step. The traveler asks where it is without interpreting that instruction as medical advice.
You我不舒服，想看医生，应该先去哪里？
wǒ bù shū fu, xiǎng kàn yī shēng, yīng gāi xiān qù nǎ lǐ?
I feel unwell and want to see a doctor. Where should I go first?
Staff先到前台登记。
xiān dào qián tái dēng jì.
Register at reception first.
You是右边这个前台吗？
shì yòu biān zhè ge qián tái ma?
Is it this desk on the right?
Staff对，就在那边。
duì, jiù zài nà biān.
Yes, right over there.
You still do not understand an instruction
The patient explains which sentence needs clarification. That gives the clinician a clear reason to arrange language support.
You不好意思，这句话我没听懂。
bù hǎo yì si, zhè jù huà wǒ méi tīng dǒng.
Sorry, I didn't understand that sentence.
Clinician我写下来。
wǒ xiě xià lai.
I'll write it down.
You谢谢，可以找人帮我解释一下吗？
xiè xie, kě yǐ zhǎo rén bāng wǒ jiě shì yí xià ma?
Thank you. Could someone help explain it to me?
Clinician好，我们想办法帮您。
hǎo, wǒ men xiǎng bàn fǎ bāng nín.
Of course, we'll work out how to help.
Clarify the clinician's question
A clinician asks 从什么时候开始的. Does 我肚子疼 answer the whole question?
No. It describes stomach pain, but not when it started. Give the actual starting time or say that you are unsure.
Is a saved Chinese instruction automatically safe to follow?
No. Ask a clinician or suitable language professional to clarify important instructions you do not understand.
What makes 这个药 precise enough?
The actual medicine you are showing or a clear verified name. The word this alone cannot identify an unspecified product.
Sources for registration and getting instructions explained
Related care and assistance language
Questions learners ask
How do I say I need a doctor in Chinese?
Say 我需要医生.
How do I say I have a headache?
Say 我头疼.
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