Chinese medical vocabulary spans two parallel traditions: 中医 (zhōngyī, Traditional Chinese Medicine) and 西医 (xīyī, Western biomedicine). Both are practiced across modern China, often within the same hospital; patients may consult a TCM practitioner for chronic complaints and a Western doctor for acute conditions. A learner visiting a Chinese hospital (医院, yīyuàn) or pharmacy (药店, yàodiàn) needs vocabulary from both registers: anatomical terms, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment words, and the TCM concepts of 气 (qì, vital energy), 阴阳 (yīn yáng), and 经络 (jīngluò, meridians) that still shape how many Chinese speakers describe their bodies.
This reference covers body parts from head to toe, internal organs, common symptoms and illnesses, pharmacy and hospital vocabulary, TCM essentials, emergency medical phrases, and preventive health terms. Each entry pairs simplified characters with pinyin and English gloss. For pronunciation, see the pinyin complete guide and the Chinese tones complete guide. For the sentence patterns used with physical states ("I have a headache"), see the Chinese grammar rules guide. For classifier particles used to quantify medicine and body parts, see the Chinese measure words classifiers reference.
External Body Parts: Head and Face
Table 1. Head and face.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 头 | tóu | Head |
| 头发 | tóufa | Hair (on head) |
| 脸 | liǎn | Face |
| 眼睛 | yǎnjing | Eyes |
| 眉毛 | méimao | Eyebrows |
| 睫毛 | jiémáo | Eyelashes |
| 鼻子 | bízi | Nose |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | Mouth |
| 嘴巴 | zuǐba | Mouth (colloquial) |
| 嘴唇 | zuǐchún | Lips |
| 牙齿 | yáchǐ | Teeth |
| 舌头 | shétou | Tongue |
| 耳朵 | ěrduo | Ears |
| 下巴 | xiàba | Chin |
| 脖子 | bózi | Neck |
| 喉咙 | hóulóng | Throat |
Torso and Limbs
Table 2. Torso.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 身体 | shēntǐ | Body (general) |
| 肩膀 | jiānbǎng | Shoulders |
| 胸 | xiōng | Chest |
| 胸部 | xiōngbù | Chest area |
| 后背 | hòubèi | Back |
| 腰 | yāo | Waist, lower back |
| 肚子 | dùzi | Stomach, belly |
| 腹部 | fùbù | Abdomen |
| 腰 | yāo | Lower back |
| 屁股 | pìgu | Buttocks |
Table 3. Arms and hands.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 胳膊 | gēbo | Arm |
| 手臂 | shǒubì | Arm (formal) |
| 手 | shǒu | Hand |
| 手指 | shǒuzhǐ | Finger |
| 大拇指 | dàmǔzhǐ | Thumb |
| 手腕 | shǒuwàn | Wrist |
| 手掌 | shǒuzhǎng | Palm |
| 肘 | zhǒu | Elbow |
| 指甲 | zhǐjia | Fingernail |
Table 4. Legs and feet.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 腿 | tuǐ | Leg |
| 大腿 | dàtuǐ | Thigh |
| 小腿 | xiǎotuǐ | Calf |
| 膝盖 | xīgài | Knee |
| 脚 | jiǎo | Foot |
| 脚趾 | jiǎozhǐ | Toe |
| 脚踝 | jiǎohuái | Ankle |
| 脚跟 | jiǎogēn | Heel |
Internal Organs
Chinese splits organs into 脏 (zàng, solid yin organs: heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys) and 腑 (fǔ, hollow yang organs: stomach, intestines, gallbladder, bladder, san jiao). Together they are called 五脏六腑 (wǔ zàng liù fǔ, "five zang six fu").
Table 5. Internal organs.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 器官 | qìguān | Organ |
| 心 | xīn | Heart |
| 心脏 | xīnzàng | Heart (organ, medical) |
| 肝 | gān | Liver |
| 脾 | pí | Spleen |
| 肺 | fèi | Lungs |
| 肾 | shèn | Kidneys |
| 胃 | wèi | Stomach |
| 肠 | cháng | Intestines |
| 大肠 | dàcháng | Large intestine |
| 小肠 | xiǎocháng | Small intestine |
| 胆 | dǎn | Gallbladder |
| 膀胱 | pángguāng | Bladder |
| 血 | xuè / xiě | Blood |
| 骨头 | gǔtou | Bone |
| 肌肉 | jīròu | Muscle |
| 神经 | shénjīng | Nerve |
| 大脑 | dànǎo | Brain |
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the organs are not purely anatomical but also functional systems linked to emotions, seasons, and body processes. The liver (肝) "stores blood" and governs anger; the heart (心) houses the spirit (神); the spleen (脾) transforms food into qi and blood. Translation to Western organ names is approximate; TCM "kidney" (肾) includes adrenal, reproductive, and developmental functions.
Common Symptoms
Chinese symptom descriptions use 疼 (téng, "pain") or 痛 (tòng, the more formal equivalent) after the body part: 头疼 (headache), 肚子疼 (stomachache), 牙疼 (toothache). Fever is 发烧 (fāshāo, "start to burn").
Table 6. Common symptoms.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 疼 | téng | Hurt, pain |
| 痛 | tòng | Pain (formal) |
| 头疼 | tóuténg | Headache |
| 肚子疼 | dùzi téng | Stomachache |
| 牙疼 | yáténg | Toothache |
| 喉咙疼 | hóulóng téng | Sore throat |
| 发烧 | fāshāo | Have a fever |
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | Cold (illness) |
| 咳嗽 | késou | Cough |
| 流鼻涕 | liú bítì | Runny nose |
| 打喷嚏 | dǎ pēntì | Sneeze |
| 拉肚子 | lā dùzi | Diarrhea |
| 便秘 | biànmì | Constipation |
| 呕吐 | ǒutù | Vomit |
| 恶心 | ěxin | Nausea |
| 头晕 | tóuyūn | Dizzy |
| 累 | lèi | Tired |
| 不舒服 | bù shūfu | Don't feel well |
| 过敏 | guòmǐn | Allergy |
Common Illnesses
Table 7. Illnesses.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 感冒 | gǎnmào | Common cold |
| 流感 | liúgǎn | Influenza |
| 发烧 | fāshāo | Fever |
| 肺炎 | fèiyán | Pneumonia |
| 胃炎 | wèiyán | Gastritis |
| 高血压 | gāoxuèyā | High blood pressure |
| 低血压 | dīxuèyā | Low blood pressure |
| 糖尿病 | tángniàobìng | Diabetes |
| 心脏病 | xīnzàngbìng | Heart disease |
| 癌症 | áizhèng | Cancer |
| 贫血 | pínxuè | Anemia |
| 中暑 | zhòngshǔ | Heatstroke |
| 骨折 | gǔzhé | Fracture |
| 扭伤 | niǔshāng | Sprain |
| 过敏 | guòmǐn | Allergy |
| 传染病 | chuánrǎnbìng | Infectious disease |
Hospital and Medical Personnel
Table 8. Hospital vocabulary.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 医院 | yīyuàn | Hospital |
| 诊所 | zhěnsuǒ | Clinic |
| 急诊 | jízhěn | Emergency |
| 门诊 | ménzhěn | Outpatient |
| 住院 | zhùyuàn | Be hospitalized |
| 挂号 | guàhào | Register (for appointment) |
| 科 | kē | Department |
| 内科 | nèikē | Internal medicine |
| 外科 | wàikē | Surgery |
| 儿科 | érkē | Pediatrics |
| 妇科 | fùkē | Gynecology |
| 牙科 | yákē | Dentistry |
| 眼科 | yǎnkē | Ophthalmology |
| 皮肤科 | pífū kē | Dermatology |
| 中医科 | zhōngyī kē | TCM department |
Table 9. Medical personnel.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 医生 | yīshēng | Doctor |
| 大夫 | dàifu | Doctor (colloquial) |
| 护士 | hùshi | Nurse |
| 专家 | zhuānjiā | Specialist |
| 牙医 | yáyī | Dentist |
| 中医 | zhōngyī | TCM practitioner |
| 病人 | bìngrén | Patient |
| 家属 | jiāshǔ | Family member (of patient) |
Pharmacy and Medications
Table 10. Medications.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 药 | yào | Medicine |
| 药店 | yàodiàn | Pharmacy |
| 药方 | yàofāng | Prescription |
| 处方 | chǔfāng | Prescription (formal) |
| 开药 | kāi yào | Prescribe medicine |
| 西药 | xīyào | Western medicine |
| 中药 | zhōngyào | Chinese herbal medicine |
| 中成药 | zhōngchéngyào | Patented TCM formula |
| 片 | piàn | Tablet |
| 胶囊 | jiāonáng | Capsule |
| 液体 | yètǐ | Liquid |
| 口服 | kǒufú | Oral |
| 外用 | wàiyòng | External use |
| 抗生素 | kàngshēngsù | Antibiotic |
| 止痛药 | zhǐtòng yào | Painkiller |
| 退烧药 | tuìshāo yào | Fever reducer |
| 维生素 | wéishēngsù | Vitamin |
| 创可贴 | chuàngkětiē | Bandage, Band-Aid |
Traditional Chinese Medicine
TCM (中医, zhōngyī) practices include herbal medicine (中药), acupuncture (针灸), cupping (拔罐), moxibustion (艾灸), tuina massage (推拿), and qigong (气功). TCM theory is based on the flow of qi (气) through meridians (经络), the balance of yin and yang (阴阳), and the interaction of the Five Phases (五行).
Table 11. TCM vocabulary.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 中医 | zhōngyī | TCM |
| 气 | qì | Vital energy |
| 血 | xuè | Blood (TCM) |
| 阴 | yīn | Yin |
| 阳 | yáng | Yang |
| 阴阳 | yīnyáng | Yin yang |
| 五行 | wǔxíng | Five Phases |
| 经络 | jīngluò | Meridians |
| 穴位 | xuéwèi | Acupoint |
| 针灸 | zhēnjiǔ | Acupuncture |
| 针 | zhēn | Needle |
| 艾灸 | àijiǔ | Moxibustion |
| 拔罐 | báguàn | Cupping |
| 推拿 | tuīná | TCM massage |
| 刮痧 | guāshā | Gua sha |
| 把脉 | bǎmài | Pulse diagnosis |
| 舌诊 | shézhěn | Tongue diagnosis |
| 气功 | qìgōng | Qigong |
| 太极 | tàijí | Tai chi |
TCM diagnosis relies on four methods: 望 (wàng, observation), 闻 (wén, listening/smelling), 问 (wèn, questioning), 切 (qiè, pulse-taking). These are known as the 四诊 (sì zhěn, "four diagnostics"). A TCM consultation typically includes examining the tongue, taking pulses at three positions on each wrist, and asking detailed questions about diet, sleep, emotion, and climate sensitivity. Prescriptions are individualized combinations of ten to twenty herbs decoted or ground.
Medical Consultation Phrases
Table 12. Doctor and patient phrases.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我不舒服 | wǒ bù shūfu | I don't feel well |
| 我生病了 | wǒ shēngbìng le | I'm sick |
| 我发烧了 | wǒ fāshāo le | I have a fever |
| 我头疼 | wǒ tóuténg | I have a headache |
| 我肚子疼 | wǒ dùzi téng | I have a stomachache |
| 我咳嗽 | wǒ késou | I'm coughing |
| 我对X过敏 | wǒ duì X guòmǐn | I'm allergic to X |
| 你哪里不舒服 | nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu | Where are you uncomfortable? |
| 多久了 | duō jiǔ le | How long has this been? |
| 张嘴 | zhāng zuǐ | Open your mouth |
| 深呼吸 | shēn hūxī | Deep breath |
| 量体温 | liáng tǐwēn | Take temperature |
| 验血 | yàn xuè | Blood test |
| 拍X光 | pāi X guāng | X-ray |
| 做B超 | zuò B chāo | Ultrasound |
| 一天三次 | yì tiān sān cì | Three times a day |
| 饭后服用 | fàn hòu fúyòng | Take after meals |
| 多喝水 | duō hē shuǐ | Drink more water |
| 多休息 | duō xiūxi | Rest more |
Emergency Phrases
Table 13. Medical emergencies.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 救命 | jiùmìng | Help! |
| 快叫救护车 | kuài jiào jiùhùchē | Quickly call an ambulance |
| 我需要医生 | wǒ xūyào yīshēng | I need a doctor |
| 我快晕倒了 | wǒ kuài yūndǎo le | I'm going to faint |
| 他昏倒了 | tā hūndǎo le | He fainted |
| 心脏病发作 | xīnzàngbìng fāzuò | Heart attack |
| 中风 | zhòngfēng | Stroke |
| 出血 | chūxiě | Bleeding |
| 120 | yāo èr líng | Emergency medical (dial 120) |
Common Mistakes Learners Make
- Confusing 疼 and 痛. They are near-synonyms; 疼 is colloquial, 痛 is formal/written. Both can follow body parts.
- Using 医生 vs 大夫. Both mean doctor. 医生 is standard; 大夫 (dàifu) is colloquial, especially northern. Don't confuse with 大夫 (dàfū, ancient official title).
- Assuming Chinese "heart" means only the organ. 心 also translates as mind, intent, feeling: 用心 (use the heart = concentrate), 小心 (little heart = careful).
- Direct translation of "I'm sick." In Chinese 我病了 or 我生病了 is standard. 我感冒了 specifies "I caught a cold."
- Ignoring TCM options. Chinese pharmacies stock both Western and TCM medications; prescriptions may blend both. Be specific: 我要西药 (I want Western medicine) or 我要中药.
- Over-using 不舒服. This is appropriately vague ("I don't feel well") but doctors need specifics. Practice naming body parts plus 疼.
- Tone error on 买药 vs 卖药. 买 (mǎi) is buy, 卖 (mài) is sell. Tone matters at the pharmacy.
- Confusing 血. Pronounced xuè in formal contexts, xiě in colloquial. Both are correct but register-specific.
Quick Reference
- Hospital: 医院; appointment: 挂号.
- Pain pattern: body part + 疼. 头疼, 肚子疼, 牙疼.
- Fever: 发烧. Cold: 感冒.
- Pharmacy: 药店. Prescription: 处方.
- Emergency dial: 120 ambulance, 110 police, 119 fire.
- TCM pillars: 气, 阴阳, 五行, 经络, 穴位.
- Diagnostic four: 望, 闻, 问, 切.
FAQ
Should I see a Western or TCM doctor in China?
Both are available in hospitals. Western medicine (西医) is preferred for acute conditions, infections, surgery, and emergencies. TCM (中医) is popular for chronic issues, pain management, women's health, and preventive care. Many Chinese patients consult both.
Is acupuncture covered by insurance?
In China, TCM including acupuncture is covered by public health insurance. Foreign visitors should confirm with international clinics. Basic acupuncture sessions are inexpensive by Western standards.
How do I describe pain location?
Use 在 (zài) + body part + 疼: 我的胃在疼 (my stomach hurts). Or body part + 疼 as adjective-verb: 我头疼 (I have a headache). Specify severity: 一点儿疼, 很疼, 特别疼.
What is 上火?
上火 (shàng huǒ, "rising fire") is a TCM concept covering symptoms like mouth ulcers, sore throat, constipation, acne, and feeling overheated. It is often attributed to spicy or greasy food or stress. Cooling foods and herbal teas are the traditional remedy.
Where do I buy medicine in China?
药店 (pharmacies) sell over-the-counter medications; many hospital pharmacies fill prescriptions on-site after a doctor visit. Major chains include 海王星辰, 老百姓, and 益丰. WeChat Pay accepted.
How do I call for help in an emergency?
Dial 120 for ambulance. The operator will ask 什么地方 (where), 什么情况 (what's happening), and send help. Major cities have English-capable operators; smaller cities may not.
What's the difference between 中药 and 中成药?
中药 is raw herbs decocted into a custom formula for one patient. 中成药 is "patented formula" TCM: premade pills, capsules, or liquid based on classical prescriptions (for example 板蓝根 for sore throat, 六味地黄丸 for kidney yin deficiency). 中成药 is like TCM over-the-counter medicine.
See Also
- Chinese HSK 1 vocabulary 150 essential words
- Chinese common phrases daily conversation reference
- Chinese travel phrases tourist guide reference
- Chinese grammar rules complete beginners guide
- Chinese characters and radicals guide for beginners
- Pinyin complete guide
- Chinese tones complete guide with examples
Author: Kalenux Team
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I see a Western or TCM doctor in China?
Both are available in hospitals. Western medicine (西医) suits acute conditions, infections, surgery, and emergencies. TCM (中医) is popular for chronic issues, pain, women's health, and prevention. Many Chinese patients consult both.
Is acupuncture covered by insurance?
In China, TCM including acupuncture is covered by public health insurance. Foreign visitors should confirm with international clinics. Basic acupuncture sessions are inexpensive by Western standards.
How do I describe pain location?
Use body part + 疼: 我头疼 (I have a headache). Specify severity: 一点儿疼 (a little), 很疼 (very), 特别疼 (especially).
What is 上火?
上火 (shàng huǒ, 'rising fire') is a TCM concept covering mouth ulcers, sore throat, constipation, acne, and feeling overheated. Often attributed to spicy or greasy food or stress. Cooling foods and herbal teas are the traditional remedy.
Where do I buy medicine in China?
药店 (pharmacies) sell OTC medications; hospital pharmacies fill prescriptions on-site after a doctor visit. Major chains include 海王星辰, 老百姓, and 益丰. WeChat Pay is accepted.
How do I call for help in an emergency?
Dial 120 for ambulance. The operator will ask 什么地方 (where) and 什么情况 (what's happening). Major cities have English-capable operators; smaller cities may not.
What's the difference between 中药 and 中成药?
中药 is raw herbs decocted into a custom formula for one patient. 中成药 is patented formula TCM: premade pills or liquid based on classical prescriptions, like TCM over-the-counter medicine.
