A Chinese-English Phrasebook

for Medical Encounters

(Mandarin Pronunciation/Simplified Chinese)

for English-Speaking Medical Students

Created by Meiying Zhuang and Wynn Tran

M.D. Candidates 2018
University of British Columbia
Vancouver Fraser Medical Program

as part of a Doctor, Patient and Society 420

Self-Directed Project in 2015/2016
A Chinese-English phrasebook for medical encounters
(Mandarin pronunciation see notes on pg. 8-12 before using)
For English-speaking medical students

A general caution on speaking Mandarin to patients:

Always start with English. Only use Mandarin when there is a
need, and be humble. Also be aware that your patient may not
speak Mandarin, even if they are of Asian descent.
Accept that there are limits to your abilities in Mandarin and do
not try to manage a patient completely with the phrases. They
are merely to help in urgent situations or build rapport.
We have used nn () in this book as a respectful way to say you.

You also may hear n (), which is a general-purpose you.

Introduction/General Phrases
Hello. nn ho. Goodbye. zi jin.
Do you speak Mandarin? I know a bit. nn hu shu zhng wn ma?
w hu y din.
My name is ___. w jio __. __
What is your name? nn jio shn me mng zi?
I am a medical student. w sh y x shng.
I am a doctor. w sh y shng.
Please ___. qng __. __(used throughout this booklet)
Thank you. xi xie. Youre welcome. b k qi.
I am sorry. du b q. Its okay. mi gun xi.
I dont understand. w tng b dng.
Please say that again. qng zi shu y bin.
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 In-patient in distress
Pain/painful. tng.
Are you in pain? nn tng ma? ?
Where is the pain? n l tng? ? (see p.4)
My ___ hurts. w de __ tng. __ (see p.4)
Please point to (show me) where you have the pain.
tng de d fng qng zh gi w kn.
When did it start? shn me sh hu ki sh de? ? (see p.3)
Does it hurt a lot? hn tng ma? ? (neg: b ti tng )
From 1 to 10 how painful is it? 1 being the least pain and 10 being
the most serious pain. cng y do sh j, nn de tng sh d j j? y
sh zu qng de tng, sh sh zu yn zhng de tng.
?
Does it hurt anywhere else? (i.e. radiation)
yu mi yu q t d fang tng? ? (neg. mi yu)
Is it hard to breathe? h x kn nn ma? ?
I will find help for you. w hu zho rn bng n.
I will be right back (return). w m shng hu li.
The doctor/nurse is coming.
(y shng)/(h sh) hu li. /
More on pain:
Did the pain start suddenly? tng tng sh t rn ki sh de ma?
?
What is the pain like? zn me tng f? ?

Continuous. ch x. Intermittent. dun dun x

x.
___ or ___?
Sharp. zhn c tng. __ hi sh __? Dull. yn yn tng.
__ __?
Burning. zhu r tng. Throbbing. j dng tng.

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Ensuring comfort in a stable patient
Do you need ___? nn x yo __ ma? __
I will get ___. w hu n __. __
Bathroom. c su.
Water. shu.
Blanket. bi zi.
Tissue. zh jn.
Pain medication. zh tng yo.
Do you feel ___? nn __ ma? __
Cold. lng.
Hot. r.
Hungry. .
Comfortable. sh f.
Medical Interview (Questions and Answers)

When did it start? shn me sh hu ki sh de?

Today Yesterday Last week Last month
jn tin zu tin shng ge xng q shng ge y

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
y r* sn s w li q b ji sh sh y sh r
__ days ago __ weeks ago __ months ago __ years ago
__ tin qin __ ge xng q qin __ ge y qin __ nin qin
__ __ __ __

(see pg. 4 for body parts and symptoms)

*for quantities (of days, objects, etc.), use ling instead of r for two.
cultural note: Chinese patients may name organs like lung or
intestine as the source of their pain. In that case, ask them to point to
where the pain is.
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 Where/what is the problem? n l b sh f?

My. w de. His/Her. t de. (see pg. 3 and 5 for timing)

Head Eyes Ears Nose Mouth Throat Neck Shoulder
tu yn jng r du b zi zu ba hu lng b zi jin bng

Arm Elbow Wrist Hand Chest Lung Heart Abdomen
g bo zhu shu wn shu xing fi xn zng d zi

Stomach Back Hip/Groin Buttock Leg Knee Ankle Foot Liver
wi bi ku tn b tu x gi jio wn jio gn

Kidney Bladder Uterus Prostate Ovary Testis Intestine
shn png gung z gng qin li xin lun cho go wn chng zi

Fever Fatigue Bleed Back Pain
f sho p lo ch x bi tng

Short of breath Cough Chest Pain Swelling
q chun k su xong tng f zhng

Heartburn Constipation Diarrhea Hemorrhoids
wi zhu r bin m l d zi zh chung

Headache Dizziness
Abdominal Pain Urination tu tng tu yn
d zi tng/ difficult/painful
wi tng
xio bin
/ (kn nn)/(tng) Nausea Vomiting
xn u t
()/()

4
Questions to clarify timing of symptoms
Better/worse ___? __ ho xi / hui xi? __ /
in the morning. zo shng. / night. wn shng.
lying down. tng zhe. / sitting up. zu zhe.
after a meal. ch gu fn.
with movement. dng de sh hu.
when not moving. b dng de sh hu.
Past Medical History:
Do you have ___? nn yu mi yu __? __?
(affirmative: yu, negative: mi yu)
Do any family members have ___? ji rn yu mi yu __?
__?
High blood pressure. go x y.
Infectious disease (HIV, HepB, HepC, etc.). chun rn bng.
Cardiovascular Disease. xn zng j bng.
Depression. y y zhng.
Arthritis. gun ji yn.
Osteoporosis. g zh sh sng.
Diabetes. tng nio bng.
Lung disease. fi bng.
Cancer. i zhng.
Stroke. zhng fng.
Asthma. xio chun.
itis. __ yn. __ (Inflammation = yn zhng )
Enlisting the help of an interpreter
I will find an interpreter. w hu zho rn fn y.
Do you prefer Mandarin or Cantonese?
nn x gun p tng hu hi sh gung dng hu?
?
*sometimes patients can speak Mandarin but prefer Cantonese
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 Physical Examination
Asking permission:
May I examine you?
w k y gi nn zu jin ch ma? ?
In the context of being examined, several important ways to
express "no": b k y, b xng, b yo, k y b jin ch ma?
(The last one is asking if it would be possible not to examine.)
May I examine you here? (pointing)
k y jin ch zh l ma? ?
Can I ___ this? (pointing at article of clothing)
w k y b zh ge __ ma? __?
lower. wng xi y.
raise. wng shng y.
remove. n dio.
Asking questions:
Does it hurt when I do this? zh yng tng b tng? ?
Where does it hurt? zi n l tng? ?
Warning:
This may feel uncomfortable. zh k nng hu b sh f.

Directions:
Please take deep breaths. qng shn h x.
Hold your breath. bi zh q. bng zh h x.
To stop: Its okay. k y le. or "Please relax." (below)
Please relax. qng fng sng.
Please relax your __. qng fng sng nn de __. __
Please lift your ___. qng ti q li nn de __. __
arm. g bo.
leg. tu.
(see pg. 4 for more.)

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 Please stand up. qng zhn q li.
Please sit ___. qng zu __. __
down. xi li.
up. q li.
on the bed. zi chung shng.
Please lie down. qng tng xi li.
Take a few steps back and forth.
qng qin hu zu j b.
Please copy me (demonstrate, e.g. range of motion tests).
qng gn w x.
Please maintain this position (e.g. strength testing).
qng bo ch b dng.
Taking blood pressure
I would like to take your blood pressure.
w xing ling nn de x y.
Can I take your blood pressure?
w k y ling nn de x y ma? ?
Which arm do you prefer? n xing yng n ge g bo? ?
Either (any) are okay. du k y. or su bin.
Left arm. zu bin.
Right arm. yu bin.
This one. zh bin / zh ge. /
While I'm measuring your blood pressure:
zi w gi nn ling x y de sh hu... ...
Please relax your arm
qng fng sng nn de g b.
(and) remain silent. (h) bo ch n jng. ()
This is your blood pressure. zh sh nn de x y.
Your blood pressure is __. nn de x y __. __
normal. zhng chng. / high. go. / low. d.
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 I will order tests for you: w hu gi nn c yn:

Ultrasound X-ray CT Lab tests

cho shng b X-gung CT hu yn
X CT

Basic treatment phrases

I will give you ___. w hu gi nn __. __
a medication. yo.
a medication for ___. wi le __ de yo. __
IV fluids. sh y.
a blood transfusion. sh x.
Please take the medication. qng ch yo.
___ times a day. mi tin __ c. __(see numbers, pg. 3)
___ pills each time. mi c __ k. __
Cancer screening
Have you ever had ___? nn yu mi yu zu gu__? __?
Pap smear. gng jng jin ch.
Prostate exam. qin li xin jin ch.
Breast exam. r fng jin ch.
Stool test (e.g. FIT and others). fn bin jin ch.
Read these first to get the most out of this booklet
An important note on "yes" or "no":
Yes/no questions in Mandarin are generally answered using the first
verb/adjective of the question (underlined where applicable in our
booklet). Unless otherwise indicated, an answer of (verb) means
"yes", and an answer of b (verb) means "no".
e.g. Are you in pain? nn tng ma?
affirmative ("yes"): tng negative ("no"): b tng
e.g. May I examine you? w k y gi nn zu jin ch ma?
affirmative ("yes"): k y negative ("no"): b k y
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Read these first to get the most out of this booklet
Brief Guide to Pinyin (used in this booklet)

Initial sounds (consonants) Basic vowels

b, p, m, f, d, t, approximately a as in hat
n, l, g, k, h, r, as in English
w, y, s, sh, j

z like ds in e as in the, except after i, y

reads or u/, where it's
pronounced as in red

q, c like ts in i usually: as in machine

beets, except after z, c, s, zh, ch, sh, r:
that q before u a buzzed continuation of
is pronounced the consonant (like the e
like ch in roses)

x like sh in she o written "o" or "uo": similar

with less h, to English wallet (note
except before that "o" by itself is
u, where it's pronounced as if written
pronounced "uo")
like a full sh in "ao" or "ong": as in tone

zh like j in jar u like oo in loop

ch as in made at front of mouth

charming, not (like i) with lips rounded
champagne (like u), similar to German
ber or French super

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 Read these first to get the most out of this booklet
Diphthongs and Finals
General note: as a rule of thumb, diphthongs (that is, compound
vowels) are pronounced with greater emphasis on the first vowel
than would be expected in English. e.g. ya or ia are pronounced
with emphasis on the i sound.

ai rhyming with eye ia as if written "ya"

ei as in weigh ie as if written "ye" (e

pronounced as in red)

ao rhyming with cow, with iu pronounced like English

more emphasis on the you (i.e., y + oo)
a sound (as in llama)

ou rhyming with go ui as if written "wei"

uo as if written "wo", e said as + e (e

similar to wallet pronounced as in red)

-ng as in "singing" and in similar to "ing", more

never as in "ungrateful" nasal (tongue tip to hard
palate). n at the end of
any other syllable is
pronounced as in English

ian as if written "yen" iang i as in machine

or (a is pronounced like e or -ang like lung
yan in red here), similar to yang (not like "ian")
the English name Ian

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Read these first to get the most out of this booklet
A Guide to Tones

(see pg. 12 for explanation)

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 Read these first to get the most out of this booklet
Tone chart (see pg. 11) derived from work by Wereon on Wikimedia Commons
[GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)]

Guide to Tones (continued)

Mandarin has four tones and a neutral tone:
1) a high tone (indicated with a macron/bar e.g. m), which is at
the highest comfortable pitch
2) a rising tone (indicated with an acute accent/upward slanting
stroke e.g. m), which starts from neutral pitch and rises to the
highest comfortable pitch
3) a low tone (indicated with a caron/v-shaped stroke e.g. m),
which descends quickly to the lowest comfortable pitch and
usually stays there, but classically can also rise to or slightly
above neutral pitch (dotted arrow) - this is usually omitted, but
you may hear Mandarin speakers do this
4) a falling tone (indicated with a grave accent/downward slanting
stroke e.g. m), which descends quickly from the highest
comfortable pitch to the lowest comfortable pitch
5) a neutral tone (indicated by no markings e.g. ma), which lies at
a mid-range pitch

Tone numbers can also be used; however, for easy visual

recognition, we use tone markings in this handout. It is very
important to be able to distinguish tones in Mandarin. Practice these
to familiarize yourself with them!

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 Thank you for using this booklet.
Wed love to hear any feedback you
may have about it!
Please email [email protected].

version 1.2
27 February 2016