Lesson 11: Body and Basic Health

Overview

Talking about your health is a practical necessity. Whether you need to visit a doctor, explain to a colleague why you are not feeling well, or simply understand what someone is telling you about their health, this lesson gives you the core vocabulary and two key structures. 疼 and 痛 both describe pain, and 有点儿 lets you express mild discomfort without sounding dramatic.

Body vocabulary in Chinese is largely straightforward. Each body part has a clear single noun and there are no major irregularities. The challenge is in the grammar patterns, especially knowing where to place the body part in relation to 疼.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you can:

• Name at least ten body parts in Chinese
• Describe pain and illness using 疼 and 痛
• Use 有点儿 to express mild symptoms
• Ask someone how they are feeling and understand the answer

Vocabulary

Character	Pinyin	Type	Meaning	Example
头	tóu	noun	head	头很疼。
手	shǒu	noun	hand	我的手很冷。
脚	jiǎo	noun	foot, leg (lower)	脚很痛。
眼睛	yǎnjing	noun	eye	眼睛不舒服。
耳朵	ěrduo	noun	ear	耳朵疼。
嘴	zuǐ	noun	mouth	嘴里有点儿疼。
肚子	dùzi	noun	stomach, belly	肚子疼。
背	bèi	noun	back	背很酸。
疼	téng	adj/verb	to hurt, ache	头疼
痛	tòng	adj/verb	to hurt, pain	很痛
感冒	gǎnmào	noun/verb	cold, to catch a cold	我感冒了。
发烧	fā shāo	verb phrase	to have a fever	他在发烧。
医生	yīshēng	noun	doctor	去看医生。
有点儿	yǒudiǎnr	adverb	a little, slightly	有点儿疼

Grammar Focus

Pattern 1: Body part + 疼/痛

Structure: Body Part + 疼 or 痛

In Chinese, you place the body part before 疼 or 痛 to describe where it hurts. 疼 and 痛 are largely interchangeable at this level, though 疼 often describes a dull or throbbing ache and 痛 can suggest sharper pain. The body part becomes the subject of the verb. This is different from English where we say "my head hurts" (the body part is the subject), but in Chinese this is even more direct: 头疼, literally "head-ache."

Example	Pinyin	English
头疼。	Tóu téng.	My head hurts.
肚子很痛。	Dùzi hěn tòng.	My stomach really hurts.
脚有点儿疼。	Jiǎo yǒudiǎnr téng.	My foot hurts a little.

Common mistake: saying 我的头疼 as a noun phrase (my headache) rather than 我头疼 (I have a headache). While not wrong, dropping the 我的 and just saying 头疼 is the most natural spoken form.

Pattern 2: 有点儿 + adjective

Structure: Subject + 有点儿 + Adjective

有点儿 means "a little" or "slightly" and softens the adjective that follows it. It is useful for describing mild symptoms or making a polite complaint. Note that 有点儿 carries a slightly negative or problematic connotation: you use it when something is a bit wrong or uncomfortable. You would not say 今天有点儿好天气 because good weather is positive. Save it for things that are slightly bad or inconvenient.

Example	Pinyin	English
我有点儿不舒服。	Wǒ yǒudiǎnr bù shūfu.	I am feeling a little unwell.
今天有点儿冷。	Jīntiān yǒudiǎnr lěng.	It is a little cold today.
这个菜有点儿咸。	Zhège cài yǒudiǎnr xián.	This dish is a little salty.

Common mistake: using 有点儿 with positive adjectives. Do not say 她有点儿漂亮 to mean "she is a little pretty." Use 一点儿 after the adjective when you want to say "a little [positive thing]": 她比我高一点儿 (she is a little taller than me).

Pattern 3: 感冒了 and other health states

Structure: Subject + Verb/State + 了

了 after a verb or state expression indicates that a new situation has arisen or a change has occurred. 我感冒了 means "I have caught a cold" (the cold is now a reality). This use of 了 is one of its most practical applications and comes up constantly in health conversations.

Example	Pinyin	English
我感冒了。	Wǒ gǎnmào le.	I have caught a cold.
他发烧了。	Tā fāshāo le.	He has developed a fever.
我好了。	Wǒ hǎo le.	I am better now.

Common mistake: omitting 了 when describing a new condition. Without 了, 我感冒 sounds like a habitual or ongoing description. The 了 signals the change from healthy to sick.

Dialogue

A student calls in sick to their teacher.

老师: 小明，你今天为什么没来上课？ Lǎoshī: Xiǎo Míng, nǐ jīntiān wèishénme méi lái shàngkè? Teacher: Xiao Ming, why did you not come to class today?

小明: 老师，对不起，我感冒了，头很疼，还有点儿发烧。 Lǎoshī, duìbuqǐ, wǒ gǎnmào le, tóu hěn téng, hái yǒudiǎnr fāshāo. Teacher, I am sorry, I have caught a cold, my head hurts a lot, and I have a slight fever.

老师: 你去看医生了吗？ Nǐ qù kàn yīshēng le ma? Did you go see the doctor?

小明: 还没有。我妈妈说我今天去医院。 Hái méiyǒu. Wǒ māma shuō wǒ jīntiān qù yīyuàn. Not yet. My mum says I will go to the hospital today.

老师: 好，好好休息，多喝水。明天的作业不用交了。 Hǎo, hǎohǎo xiūxi, duō hē shuǐ. Míngtiān de zuòyè bú yòng jiāo le. Okay, rest well and drink plenty of water. You do not need to hand in tomorrow's homework.

小明: 谢谢老师！ Xièxie lǎoshī! Thank you, teacher!

Practice

Exercise 1: Fill in the blank

1. 我 __ 了，今天不能上课。(caught a cold)
2. 头有点儿 __，我想休息。(ache)
3. 你哪里 __？(hurts)
4. 肚子 __ 疼，我去看医生。(very)
5. 他 __ 不舒服，在家休息。(a little)

Exercise 2: Translate to Chinese

1. My stomach hurts a little.
2. She has a fever.
3. I feel a little unwell today.
4. Did you see a doctor?
5. Drink more water and rest well.

Exercise 3: Answer these questions

1. 你感冒的时候有什么症状？
2. 你生病了会去看医生吗？
3. 你身体哪里经常不舒服？

Cultural Note

In China, the concept of health is strongly influenced by Traditional Chinese Medicine (中医, zhōngyī), which has been practiced for thousands of years. When you are sick, people may recommend drinking hot water (多喝热水, drink more hot water) as a cure for almost any ailment. This is not mere superstition: it reflects a belief that cold water disrupts internal balance and warmth supports recovery. You will also encounter advice about avoiding cold foods, staying warm, and the importance of not letting cold air enter the body. When visiting a Chinese doctor, you may be offered both Western (西医) and traditional medicine treatment options, and many Chinese patients prefer to combine both approaches.