How to Say Virus in Chinese 🤒 LTL’s Guide to Talking About Your Health

Essential Vocabulary for talking about Viruses in Chinese

If you’ve wanted to know “How to say virus in Chinese” or to be able to talk about other health-related problems then we’re here to help.

Being able to talk about your health and symptoms is important if you’re living in China.

Whether it’s just a small problem like asking for medicine for a headache or something a bit more serious it’s good to know how to describe your symptoms and also know some of the more technical language.

Virus in Chinese || Going to a Doctor/Pharmacy

Virus in Chinese || Symptoms

Virus in Chinese || Technical Vocabulary

Virus in Chinese || Types of Illness

Virus in Chinese || Keeping Hygenic

Virus in Chinese || FAQs

Virus in Chinese || Going to a Doctor or pharmacy

First of all, here is some basic vocabulary to get you started:

  • Hospital 医院 yīyuàn
  • Doctor 医生 yīshēng
  • Nurse 护士 hùshì
  • Pharmacy 药店 yàodiàn
  • Pharmacist 药剂师 yàojì shī
  • Medicine 药 yào
Virus in Chinese - Doctor

Along with these here are some key basic phrases:

Please take me to the hospital. 请带我去医院。Qǐng dài wǒ qù yīyuàn.

How can I get to the hospital by bus? 去医院要坐哪一路公交?Qù yīyuàn yào zuò nǎ yīlù gōngjiāo?

Where is the nearest hospital? 最近的医院在哪里? zuìjìn de yīyuàn zài nǎlǐ

I need to see a doctor 我需要看医生 wŏ xūyào kān yīshēng

You should go and see a doctor. 你应该去看医生。Nǐ yīnggāi qù kàn yīshēng.

Where can I buy some medicine? 我到哪里可以买些药? Wǒ dào nǎlǐ kěyǐ mǎi xiē yào?

Virus in Chinese - Pharmacy

These are available from a pharmacist. 这些可从一药剂师得到。 Zhèxiē kě cóng yī yàojì shī dédào.

Have you taken any medicine? 你吃过药了吗?Nǐ chī yàole ma?

How much of the medicine do I take each time? 这药我每次吃多少?Zhè yào wǒ měi cì chī duōshǎo?

Virus in Chinese || Symptoms

Now, if you do go to the hospital or pharmacy it’s important to actually be able to communicate how it is you’re feeling.

You definitely don’t want to end up being given the wrong medicine!

Below, we’ve put together some vocabulary and phrases for some common symptoms.

Symptom is 症状 zhèngzhuàng

What symptoms do you have? 你有什么症状? Nǐ yǒu shénme zhèngzhuàng?
  • Unwell/Uncomfortable 不舒服 bù shūfu
    • I’m not feeling well 我身体不舒服 Wǒ shēntǐ bú shūfú
    • What is bothering you/Where does it hurt? 你哪里不舒服? Nǐ nǎlǐ bú shūfú?

Ill is 生病 shēngbìng

I’m ill, I can’t go to work. 我生病了,不能去上班了 Wǒ shēngbìngle, bùnéng qù shàngbānle
  • Fever 发烧 fā shāo zhuangzheng
    • I have a little bit of a fever 我有一点发烧了 Wǒ yǒu yīdiǎn fāshāole

Headache is 头疼 tóuténg

I have a headache 我有点儿头疼 Wǒ yóu diǎnr tóuténg
How to say Virus in Chinese - Headache
  • Stomachache 胃疼 wèi téng
    • Yesterday I had a bad stomach ache 昨天我胃疼 Zuótiān wǒ wèi téng

Sore throat is 嗓子疼 săngzi téng

Today my throat hurts 我今天嗓子疼 wǒ jīntiān sǎngzi téng

You’ll see a pattern here of using the word 疼 téng which means to ache or have pain.

In some parts of China, more commonly the south and Taiwan, they will use the word 痛 tòng instead so that’s one thing to watch out for.

Sneeze 喷嚏 pēntì
I’ve been sneezing all day. 我打了一整天喷嚏。Wǒ dǎle yī zhěng tiān pēntì.

Runny nose 流鼻涕 liú bítì
I’ve caught a cold. I have a headache, my nose is running. 我感冒了,头疼,流鼻涕。wǒ gǎnmào le,tóuténg,liú bítì

Dizzy 头晕 tóu yūn
I feel dizzy, I must sit down. 我觉得头晕,得坐下来 wǒ juédé tóuyūn, dé zuò xiàlái

Cough 咳嗽 ké sòu
Ask the doctor to prescribe something for that cough. 请医生开点咳嗽药 Qǐng yīshēng kāi diǎn késòu yào

Nausea 恶心 ěxīn
I don’t want to eat anything, I feel a bit nauseous. 我什么也不想吃,我有点儿恶心。Wǒ shénme yě bùxiǎng chī, wǒ yǒudiǎn er ěxīn.

Being Sick in Chinese

Vomit 呕吐 ǒu tù
The symptoms of this disease are fever and sickness.这种病的症状是发烧与呕吐。Zhè zhǒng bìng de zhèngzhuàng shì fāshāo yǔ ǒutù.

Diarrhea 拉肚子 lā dùzi
We’re both vomiting and have diarrhea. We definitely got food poisoning.我们俩都呕吐,拉肚子。肯定是食物中毒了。wǒmen liǎ dōu ǒutù,lā dùzi。kěndìng shì shíwù zhòngdú le。

23 Alternate (and Amazing) Ways to Say Thank You in Chinese Thumbnail

23 Alternate (and Amazing) Ways to Say Thank You in Chinese

Thank You in Chinese is 谢谢 // It’s great to understand different ways to thank someone, there are always different contexts, formal or informal etc.

Virus in Chinese || Technical Vocab

Along with the basic vocabulary you might also want to know a few more technical words.

Here are some of the most helpful to know when going to a pharmacy or hospital:

EnglishHanziPinyin
Antibiotics抗生素kàngshēngsù
Cough syrup止咳糖浆zhǐké tángjiāng
Temperature体温tǐwēn
Thermometer体温计tǐwēnjì
Needlezhēn
Give an injection打针dǎzhēn
Vaccine疫苗yìmiáo
Medical Check-up检查身体jiǎnchá shēntǐ
Blood test验血yànxuè
Virus in Mandarin - Thermometer

Have a look below for some example sentences of how some of these words are used:

I’ll give you some cough medicine and some antibiotic pills. 我给开点咳嗽药和一些抗生素药丸。Wǒ gěi kāi diǎn késòu yào hé yīxiē kàngshēngsù yàowán.

Here’s a thermometer. First, we’ll take your temperature. 给你体温计,先量一下体温。gěi nǐ tǐwēnjì,xiān liáng yīxià tǐwēn.

This vaccine will give you immunity for two years. 接种这种疫苗可有两年免疫力。Jiēzhǒng zhè zhǒng yìmiáo kě yǒu liǎng nián miǎnyì lì.

You should go get a physical examination from a doctor. 您应该让医生给您检查身体。Nín yīnggāi ràng yīshēng gěi nín jiǎnchá shēntǐ.

Prepare to be Shocked: 100 Mind-Blowing Facts About China You Won't Believe! 😲 Thumbnail

Prepare to be Shocked: 100 Mind-Blowing Facts About China You Won’t Believe! 😲

Discover these insane facts ⭐️ 100 facts about China that will amaze you from number of people to landmass and much more.

Virus in Chinese || Types of Illness

Of course, it’s all well and good being able to describe your symptoms in Chinese but you’ll also need to know what illness you might actually have.

We’ve translated some of the most common illnesses for you. We’re sure that the only one you’ll actually need to use is I have a cold!

  • Virus 病毒 bìngdú
  • Coronavirus 冠状病毒 Guānzhuàng bìngdú
  • Flu 流感 liúgǎn
  • Cold 感冒 gǎnmào
  • Pneumonia 肺炎 fèiyán
  • Infection 感染 gǎnrǎn
  • Chest infection 胸部感染 Xiōngbù gǎnrǎn
  • Allergy 过敏 guòmǐn
  • Asthma 哮喘 xiàochuǎn
  • Food poisoning 食物中毒 shíwù zhòngdú
Coronavirus in Chinese

Virus in Chinese || Keeping Hygienic

When there is the danger of a virus about, it’s of course vital to try to be as hygienic as possible.

Here is some useful vocab that should help keep you safe!

EnglishHanziPinyin
Hygiene卫生wèishēng
Face Mask口罩kǒuzhào
Wear Mask戴口罩dài kǒuzhào
Soap肥皂féizào
Liquid hand soap洗手液xǐshǒu yè
Wash hands洗手xǐshǒu
Tissue纸巾zhǐjīn
Virus in Chinese - Face Mask

Virus in Chinese || FAQs

How do you say Coronavirus in Chinese?

Coronavirus in Chinese is 冠状病毒 Guānzhuàng bìngdú

How do you say Facemask in Chinese?

Face mask in Chinese is 口罩 kǒuzhào.

How do you say “I am ill” in Chinese?

I am ill in Chinese is 我生病了 Wǒ shēngbìng le.

How do you say Doctor in Chinese?

Doctor in Chinese is 医生 yīshēng.

Want more from LTL?

If you wish to hear more from LTL Mandarin School why not join our mailing list?

We give plenty of handy information on learning Chinese, useful apps to learn the language and everything going on at our LTL schools.

Sign up below and become part of our ever-growing community.

BONUS | Learn Chinese with LTL in person. Our student community is growing by the week.

.

12 comments

Leave a Reply

You will get a reply from us
Your email address will not be published. Name and Email are required.

  1. Como se diz "vírus" em chinês – O guia da LTL para falar sobre saúde - LTL Escola de Mandarim
    Reply

    […] Vírus em Chinês – Ir à um médico/farmácia […]

  2. Makeup in Chinese - The Complete Guide - LTL Beijing Mandarin School
    Reply

    […] for skin care because it’s really important to look after your skin as well as your health and know what products you’re actually […]

  3. Black Lives Matter Chinese Vocab 🙎🏽‍♀️ 👨‍💼 👩🏿‍🔬 💁🏻‍♂️ We Should All Learn These
    Reply

    […] Virus related phrases in Chinese […]

  4. Best Resources to Learn Chinese 🎖 : 11 You Need (for 2020-21)
    Reply

    […] We cover trending topics, straight away, like #BlackLivesMatter Vocab or speaking about COVID in Chinese. […]

  5. Evie Smith
    Reply

    How do you say temperature in Chinese?

    1. Katie Coy
      Reply

      Hi Evie,

      Temperature in Chinese when referring to your body temperature is 体温 tǐwēn. To take somebody’s temperature is 量体温 liáng tǐwēn. Hope that helps!

      LTL

  6. 14 Day Quarantine in China - Everything You Need to Know
    Reply

    […] a look at our guide to talking about your health in Chinese for even more useful health related […]

  7. Chinese Inventions 🎆 - 12 Amazing Ones that Changed the World
    Reply

    […] The Chinese name for gunpowder literally translates to “fire medicine“. […]

  8. Beijing Pollution 2021 😷: Everything You Need to Know [New Research]
    Reply

    […] to the health risks of prolonged exposure to pollution, long-term Beijing residents need to prepare for possibility of […]

  9. Great rundown of very relevant words right now!

    1. Max Hobbs
      Reply

      Thanks Al

  10. Chinese New Year Vocab - 63 Must Know Words and Phrases
    Reply

    […] an especially important phrase to be wishing someone given the situation with the virus over the course of 2020. 敬祝 jìng zhù means to wish, 身体 shēntǐ means health or body and […]

Ask us a question!
  • LTL Avatar Sabatino Antonini
    Sabatino Antonini , Student Advisor

    Welcome to LTL Mandarin School!

    How can I help you?