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How to describe symptoms in Chinese

Explain how you feel, ask for medicine, mention allergies, and understand how to take the medicine.

Useful phrases

我不舒服。

wǒ bù shūfu

I don't feel well

我发烧了。

wǒ fāshāo le

I have a temperature

wǒ tóuténg

I have a headache

我肚子疼。

wǒ dùzi téng

My stomach hurts

我咳嗽了。

wǒ késou le

I have a cough

我有点咳嗽。

wǒ yǒudiǎn késou

I'm coughing a little

我有过敏。

wǒ yǒu guòmǐn

I'm allergic

我对这个过敏。

wǒ duì zhège guòmǐn

I'm allergic to this

有感冒药吗？

yǒu gǎnmào yào ma?

Do you have cold medicine?

我要头疼药。

wǒ yào tóuténg yào

I need headache medicine

这个药怎么吃？

zhège yào zěnme chī?

How should this medicine be taken?

一天吃几次？

yì tiān chī jǐ cì?

How many times a day?

饭前还是饭后？

fàn qián háishi fàn hòu?

Before meals or after meals?

需要处方吗？

xūyào chǔfāng ma?

Do I need a prescription?

我要看医生。

wǒ yào kàn yīshēng

I'd like to see a doctor

请帮我叫救护车。

qǐng bāng wǒ jiào jiùhùchē

Please call an ambulance

可以说慢一点吗？

kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma?

Could you speak more slowly?

你哪里不舒服？

nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu?

What hurts you?

你过敏吗？

nǐ guòmǐn ma?

Do you have any allergies?

你对什么药过敏吗？

nǐ duì shénme yào guòmǐn ma?

Are you allergic to medications?

一天三次。

yì tiān sān cì

Take three times daily

fàn hòu chī

Take after meals

需要去医院。

xūyào qù yīyuàn

Need to go to hospital

这个药需要处方。

zhège yào xūyào chǔfāng

This medicine requires a prescription

Useful phrases

我不舒服。 — wǒ bù shūfu — I don't feel well
我发烧了。 — wǒ fāshāo le — I have a temperature
我头疼。 — wǒ tóuténg — I have a headache
我肚子疼。 — wǒ dùzi téng — My stomach hurts
我咳嗽了。 — wǒ késou le — I have a cough
我有点咳嗽。 — wǒ yǒudiǎn késou — I'm coughing a little
我有过敏。 — wǒ yǒu guòmǐn — I'm allergic
我对这个过敏。 — wǒ duì zhège guòmǐn — I'm allergic to this
有感冒药吗？ — yǒu gǎnmào yào ma? — Do you have cold medicine?
我要头疼药。 — wǒ yào tóuténg yào — I need headache medicine
这个药怎么吃？ — zhège yào zěnme chī? — How should this medicine be taken?
一天吃几次？ — yì tiān chī jǐ cì? — How many times a day?
饭前还是饭后？ — fàn qián háishi fàn hòu? — Before meals or after meals?
需要处方吗？ — xūyào chǔfāng ma? — Do I need a prescription?
我要看医生。 — wǒ yào kàn yīshēng — I'd like to see a doctor
请帮我叫救护车。 — qǐng bāng wǒ jiào jiùhùchē — Please call an ambulance
可以说慢一点吗？ — kěyǐ shuō màn yìdiǎn ma? — Could you speak more slowly?
你哪里不舒服？ — nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu? — What hurts you?
你过敏吗？ — nǐ guòmǐn ma? — Do you have any allergies?
你对什么药过敏吗？ — nǐ duì shénme yào guòmǐn ma? — Are you allergic to medications?
一天三次。 — yì tiān sān cì — Take three times daily
饭后吃。 — fàn hòu chī — Take after meals
需要去医院。 — xūyào qù yīyuàn — Need to go to hospital
这个药需要处方。 — zhège yào xūyào chǔfāng — This medicine requires a prescription

Mini dialogue

你好，我不舒服。 — nǐ hǎo, wǒ bù shūfu. — Hello, I'm not feeling well.
你哪里不舒服？ — nǐ nǎlǐ bù shūfu? — What exactly are you worried about?
我头疼，也有点咳嗽。 — wǒ tóuténg, yě yǒudiǎn késou. — I have a headache and I'm coughing a little.
你对什么药过敏吗？ — nǐ duì shénme yào guòmǐn ma? — Are you allergic to any medications?
我有过敏。这个药怎么吃？ — wǒ yǒu guòmǐn. zhège yào zěnme chī? — I have allergies. How should this medicine be taken?
一天三次，饭后吃。 — yì tiān sān cì, fàn hòu chī. — Three times a day, after meals.

Key words

医院 — yīyuàn — hospital
药店 — yàodiàn — pharmacy
医生 — yīshēng — doctor
药 — yào — medicine
感冒 — gǎnmào — cold
发烧 — fāshāo — temperature/fever
咳嗽 — késou — cough
疼 — téng — pain

Cultural hint

In a pharmacy, you can explain simple symptoms with words such as 发烧 (fāshāo - “fever”), 头疼 (tóuténg - “headache”), and 咳嗽 (késou - “cough”). For severe pain, high fever, allergic reaction, or sudden worsening, seek medical help. Useful phrases are 我要看医生 (wǒ yào kàn yīshēng - “I need to see a doctor”) and 请帮我叫救护车 (qǐng bāng wǒ jiào jiùhùchē - “please call an ambulance for me”). 吃药 (chī yào - “take medicine”) literally sounds like “eat medicine,” but it is the normal way to say “take medicine.”