Lesson 13: Health and Wellness
Learn vocabulary for medical situations and healthy habits, and master the grammar patterns 应该 and 建议 for giving and receiving health advice.
Overview
Discussing health is a core communicative need at the intermediate level. This lesson covers both medical vocabulary (symptoms, treatments, procedures) and wellness vocabulary (exercise, sleep, nutrition). The grammar focus on 应该 (should) and 建议 (suggest/recommend) equips you to give and receive advice, a common social interaction in Chinese daily life.
Learning Objectives
- Describe symptoms, illnesses, and medical procedures
- Use 应该 + V to make recommendations and express obligations
- Use 建议 + clause or 建议 + V to formally suggest actions
- Discuss healthy habits using wellness vocabulary
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 健康 | jiànkāng | adj/noun | healthy; health | 身体健康 |
| 锻炼 | duànliàn | verb | to exercise, to work out | 坚持锻炼 |
| 睡眠 | shuìmián | noun | sleep | 睡眠质量 |
| 营养 | yíngyǎng | noun | nutrition, nourishment | 营养丰富 |
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | verb/noun | to examine, to check up; examination | 体检 |
| 手术 | shǒushù | noun | surgery, operation | 做手术 |
| 症状 | zhèngzhuàng | noun | symptom | 有这些症状 |
| 发烧 | fāshāo | verb | to have a fever | 发烧38度 |
| 咳嗽 | késou | verb/noun | to cough; a cough | 一直咳嗽 |
| 过敏 | guòmǐn | verb/noun | to be allergic; allergy | 花粉过敏 |
| 药 | yào | noun | medicine, medication | 吃药 |
| 医院 | yīyuàn | noun | hospital | 去医院 |
| 建议 | jiànyì | verb/noun | to suggest; suggestion | 我建议你... |
| 应该 | yīnggāi | modal | should, ought to | 应该多休息 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: 应该 + V — Should, Ought To
Structure: Subject + 应该 + Verb Phrase
应该 is a modal verb expressing what is advisable, expected, or morally appropriate. In health contexts, it expresses recommendations and obligations. The negative form is 不应该 (should not). 不应该 often implies a mild criticism.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 你发烧了，应该多喝水、多休息。 | Nǐ fāshāo le, yīnggāi duō hē shuǐ, duō xiūxi. | You have a fever, you should drink more water and rest more. |
| 每个人都应该定期做体检。 | Měi ge rén dōu yīnggāi dìqī zuò tǐjiǎn. | Everyone should get regular health check-ups. |
| 你不应该熬夜，这样对身体不好。 | Nǐ bù yīnggāi áoyè, zhèyàng duì shēntǐ bù hǎo. | You shouldn't stay up late, it's bad for your health. |
Common mistake: Using 应该 for absolute necessity. 应该 means "should," not "must." For "must," use 必须 (bìxū). 你应该去看医生 (you should see a doctor) vs. 你必须立刻去急诊 (you must go to the emergency room immediately).
Pattern 2: 建议 + Clause or 建议 + V — To Suggest
Structure: Subject + 建议 + (sb.) + Verb phrase / Subject + 建议 + Subject + Verb phrase
建议 is slightly more formal than 应该. It is used when offering professional or considered advice, such as from a doctor, teacher, or elder. As a verb, it introduces a clause with a suggested action. As a noun, it means "a suggestion."
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 医生建议他做手术。 | Yīshēng jiànyì tā zuò shǒushù. | The doctor suggested he have surgery. |
| 我建议你多吃蔬菜，少吃油炸食品。 | Wǒ jiànyì nǐ duō chī shūcài, shǎo chī yóuzhá shípǐn. | I suggest you eat more vegetables and less fried food. |
| 专家建议大家每天锻炼三十分钟。 | Zhuānjiā jiànyì dàjiā měitiān duànliàn sānshí fēnzhōng. | Experts suggest everyone exercise for thirty minutes every day. |
Common mistake: Saying 建议 + 应该 + V. 我建议你应该去看医生 is redundant. Choose one: 我建议你去看医生 or 你应该去看医生.
Pattern 3: 对...有好处/有害 — Good/Bad For
Structure: (Action/Thing) + 对 + (Person/Body) + 有好处 (beneficial) / 有害 (harmful)
This pattern is essential for health advice. 对...有好处 means "is good for," while 对...有害 means "is harmful to." The thing being assessed comes before 对, and the beneficiary or affected party follows 对.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 多吃水果对身体有好处。 | Duō chī shuǐguǒ duì shēntǐ yǒu hǎochù. | Eating more fruit is good for your health. |
| 长时间看手机对眼睛有害。 | Cháng shíjiān kàn shǒujī duì yǎnjīng yǒu hài. | Looking at your phone for long periods is harmful to your eyes. |
| 规律的睡眠对健康非常有益。 | Guīlǜ de shuìmián duì jiànkāng fēicháng yǒuyì. | Regular sleep is very beneficial to health. |
Common mistake: Confusing 有好处 (have benefits, neutral to formal) with 好 in this context. 对身体好 is equally correct and more casual: 多运动对身体好.
Dialogue
A: 你看起来不太好，怎么了？ Nǐ kàn qǐlái bù tài hǎo, zěnme le? You don't look well. What's wrong?
B: 我最近总是头疼，睡眠也很差，偶尔还咳嗽。 Wǒ zuìjìn zǒngshì tóuténg, shuìmián yě hěn chà, ǒu'ěr hái késou. I've been having headaches lately, my sleep is also poor, and I occasionally cough.
A: 这些症状已经多久了？你应该去医院检查一下。 Zhèxiē zhèngzhuàng yǐjīng duō jiǔ le? Nǐ yīnggāi qù yīyuàn jiǎnchá yīxià. How long have you had these symptoms? You should go to the hospital for a check-up.
B: 大概一周了。我一直以为是因为工作太累了。 Dàgài yī zhōu le. Wǒ yīzhí yǐwéi shì yīnwèi gōngzuò tài lèi le. About a week. I kept thinking it was because of being too tired from work.
A: 工作再忙，也要注意健康！我建议你先去做个全面检查。 Gōngzuò zài máng, yě yào zhùyì jiànkāng! Wǒ jiànyì nǐ xiān qù zuò ge quánmiàn jiǎnchá. No matter how busy work is, you need to pay attention to your health! I suggest you first get a comprehensive check-up.
B: 好，我下午去。你还有什么建议吗？ Hǎo, wǒ xiàwǔ qù. Nǐ hái yǒu shénme jiànyì ma? OK, I'll go this afternoon. Do you have any other suggestions?
A: 应该多喝水，少熬夜。长时间不睡觉对免疫系统有害。 Yīnggāi duō hē shuǐ, shǎo áoyè. Cháng shíjiān bù shuìjiào duì miǎnyì xìtǒng yǒu hài. You should drink more water and stay up late less often. Not sleeping for a long time is harmful to your immune system.
Practice
Exercise 1: Give advice using 应该
Respond to each health problem with two sentences using 应该 and 不应该:
- "我最近总是很累，没有精神。"
- "我的眼睛最近很干，看东西模糊。"
Exercise 2: Formal suggestions using 建议
Rewrite as a 建议 sentence:
- You should eat less sugar. (doctor to patient)
- We suggest employees exercise regularly. (company announcement)
- I suggest you get more sleep. (friend to friend)
Exercise 3: 对...有好处/有害
Complete the sentences:
- 每天喝8杯水对___有好处。
- 吸烟对___有害。
- 规律锻炼对___很有益。
Cultural Note
Health consciousness in China has grown dramatically in recent decades, influenced by rising incomes, social media, and an aging population. The concept of 养生 (yǎngshēng, "nourishing life"), rooted in traditional Chinese medicine, encompasses diet, sleep, exercise, and emotional balance. Young Chinese people increasingly discuss wellness topics on platforms like Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), where content about healthy eating, fitness routines, and mental health garners millions of views. The traditional emphasis on 身体是革命的本钱 (your body is the capital of revolution, meaning health is your most valuable asset) blends with modern wellness culture in contemporary Chinese society.