Lesson 16: Health & Medicine
Discuss health and medical topics using advanced 被 constructions and 受 + emotional/physical state at B1 level.
Overview
Health and medicine vocabulary at B1 extends beyond symptoms and appointments into the realm of medical systems, insurance, procedures, and recovery. Two key grammar points accompany this topic: the advanced 被 passive (which expresses that a patient undergoes a procedure or suffers a condition) and 受 + noun (which expresses undergoing an experience, often an emotional or physical impact). The challenge with 被 at this level is knowing when it sounds natural and when it sounds unnatural: Chinese uses the passive far less freely than English, and choosing the right passive construction requires understanding the context.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss medical consultations, procedures, and recovery using accurate vocabulary.
- Use 被 passives appropriately in medical and emotional contexts.
- Use 受 to express undergoing experiences and impacts.
- Distinguish contexts where Chinese passive is natural versus where active voice is preferred.
Vocabulary
| Character | Pinyin | Type | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 医疗 | yīliáo | n/adj | medical care; medical | 医疗条件 |
| 保险 | bǎoxiǎn | n | insurance | 医疗保险 |
| 手术 | shǒushù | n | surgery, operation | 做手术 |
| 治疗 | zhìliáo | v/n | to treat; treatment | 接受治疗 |
| 康复 | kāngfù | v/n | to recover; recovery | 康复训练 |
| 副作用 | fùzuòyòng | n | side effect | 药物副作用 |
| 诊断 | zhěnduàn | v/n | to diagnose; diagnosis | 确诊 |
| 症状 | zhèngzhuàng | n | symptom | 出现症状 |
| 住院 | zhùyuàn | v | to be hospitalized | 需要住院 |
| 出院 | chūyuàn | v | to be discharged from hospital | 顺利出院 |
| 处方 | chǔfāng | n | prescription | 开处方 |
| 检查 | jiǎnchá | v/n | to examine; examination | 体检 |
| 预防 | yùfáng | v/n | to prevent; prevention | 疾病预防 |
| 恢复 | huīfù | v | to recover, restore | 身体恢复 |
Grammar Focus
Pattern 1: Advanced 被 Passive
Basic structure: Subject + 被 + [agent] + Verb + [result/complement] Without agent: Subject + 被 + Verb + [result/complement]
In medical contexts, the 被 passive appears when someone undergoes a procedure, receives a diagnosis, or is affected by something beyond their control. Chinese 被 passives often carry a connotation of undergoing something unwilled or unexpected, though in formal written Chinese this constraint is relaxed.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他被确诊为高血压，需要长期服药。 | Tā bèi quèzhěn wéi gāo xuèyā, xūyào chángqī fú yào. | He was diagnosed with hypertension and needs long-term medication. |
| 她的阑尾被切除了，手术很顺利。 | Tā de lányǔ bèi qiēchú le, shǒushù hěn shùnlì. | Her appendix was removed; the surgery went smoothly. |
| 受伤的运动员被立即送往医院治疗。 | Shòushāng de yùndòngyuán bèi lìjí sòngwǎng yīyuàn zhìliáo. | The injured athlete was immediately sent to the hospital for treatment. |
When NOT to use 被: When the action is positive and willingly received, Chinese often uses active voice. 我接受了治疗 (I received treatment) is more natural than 我被治疗了. Reserve 被 for situations with a sense of external force, unwilled experience, or formal written style.
Pattern 2: 受 + Noun (Undergoing Impact or Experience)
Structure: Subject + 受 + [type of impact/influence/experience] + (的影响/的伤/的感动)
受 means "to receive" or "to undergo" and is used with nouns that describe influences, injuries, emotions, or impacts. It is more specific than 被 and often indicates a state that results from an experience.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 他受了伤，需要休息几个星期。 | Tā shòu le shāng, xūyào xiūxi jǐ gè xīngqī. | He was injured and needs to rest for several weeks. |
| 她的情绪受到了很大影响，医生建议她进行心理咨询。 | Tā de qíngxù shòudào le hěn dà yǐngxiǎng, yīshēng jiànyì tā jìnxíng xīnlǐ zīxún. | Her emotions were greatly affected; the doctor recommended psychological counseling. |
| 这位患者受益于新的治疗方案，病情明显好转。 | Zhè wèi huànzhě shòuyì yú xīn de zhìliáo fāng'àn, bìngqíng míngxiǎn hǎozhuǎn. | This patient benefited from the new treatment plan and their condition obviously improved. |
Pattern 3: 经过...治疗/手术 + 结果
This pattern describes a medical process and its outcome.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 经过三个月的康复训练，他终于可以正常行走了。 | Jīngguò sān gè yuè de kāngfù xùnliàn, tā zhōngyú kěyǐ zhèngcháng xíngzǒu le. | After three months of rehabilitation training, he could finally walk normally. |
| 经过手术，她的病情得到了有效控制。 | Jīngguò shǒushù, tā de bìngqíng dédào le yǒuxiào kòngzhì. | After surgery, her condition was effectively controlled. |
Dialogue
Context: A patient speaking with a doctor during a follow-up visit.
A: 医生，我上次手术之后，感觉恢复还可以，但偶尔还是会疼。
Yīshēng, wǒ shàng cì shǒushù zhīhòu, gǎnjué huīfù hái kěyǐ, dàn ǒu'ěr háishi huì téng.
Doctor, after last time's surgery, I feel the recovery is okay, but occasionally it still hurts.
B: 这是正常的。经过手术之后，组织愈合需要时间，偶尔的不适是正常反应。
Zhè shì zhèngcháng de. Jīngguò shǒushù zhīhòu, zǔzhī yùhé xūyào shíjiān, ǒu'ěr de bùshì shì zhèngcháng fǎnyìng.
That's normal. After surgery, tissue healing takes time. Occasional discomfort is a normal reaction.
A: 我被告知要避免剧烈运动，但我不太清楚具体的限制是什么。
Wǒ bèi gàozhī yào bìmiǎn jùliè yùndòng, dàn wǒ bù tài qīngchǔ jùtǐ de xiànzhì shì shénme.
I was told to avoid strenuous exercise, but I'm not very clear on what the specific restrictions are.
B: 目前还是以散步为主，避免受到过大的体力冲击。三个月后我们会重新评估。
Mùqián háishi yǐ sànbù wéi zhǔ, bìmiǎn shòudào guò dà de tǐlì chōngjī. Sān gè yuè hòu wǒmen huì chóngxīn pínggū.
For now, stick mainly to walking and avoid physical strain. We'll reassess in three months.
A: 我的情绪也受到了一些影响，感觉有点焦虑。
Wǒ de qíngxù yě shòudào le yīxiē yǐngxiǎng, gǎnjué yǒudiǎn jiāolǜ.
My emotions have also been affected somewhat. I feel a bit anxious.
B: 这很常见。手术后患者的心理状态受到手术经历的影响是正常的。建议你多休息，必要时可以考虑心理咨询。
Zhè hěn chángjiàn. Shǒushù hòu huànzhě de xīnlǐ zhuàngtài shòudào shǒushù jīnglì de yǐngxiǎng shì zhèngcháng de. Jiànyì nǐ duō xiūxi, bìyào shí kěyǐ kǎolǜ xīnlǐ zīxún.
This is very common. It's normal for a patient's psychological state to be affected by the surgical experience. I recommend getting more rest, and if necessary, you can consider psychological counseling.
A: 好的。我现在吃的药有副作用吗？
Hǎo de. Wǒ xiànzài chī de yào yǒu fùzuòyòng ma?
Okay. Does the medication I'm taking now have side effects?
B: 会有轻微的胃部不适，这是已知的副作用，一般饭后服用可以缓解。
Huì yǒu qīngwēi de wèibù bùshì, zhè shì yǐzhī de fùzuòyòng, yībān fàn hòu fúyòng kěyǐ huǎnjiě.
There may be mild stomach discomfort, which is a known side effect. Taking it after meals can generally alleviate it.
Extended Reading
中国的医疗体系正在经历深刻的改革。由于人口老龄化加速，医疗资源的需求越来越大。许多患者被迫在大城市的三甲医院排队等候，而基层医疗机构的条件相对较弱。受这一现状的影响，政府开始大力投资基层医疗，鼓励患者在社区医院首诊。与此同时，医疗保险制度也在不断完善，越来越多的治疗项目被纳入医保范围，减轻了患者的经济负担。经过多年的努力，中国的人均寿命显著提高，但慢性病的预防和管理仍然是一个重要的挑战。
Zhōngguó de yīliáo tǐxì zhèngzài jīnglì shēnkè de gǎigé. Yóuyú rénkǒu lǎolínghùa jiāsù, yīliáo zīyuán de xūqiú yuèlái yuè dà. Xǔduō huànzhě bèipò zài dà chéngshì de sānjǐa yīyuàn páiduì děnghòu, ér jīcéng yīliáo jīgòu de tiáojiàn xiāngduì jiào ruò. Shòu zhè yī xiànzhuàng de yǐngxiǎng, zhèngfǔ kāishǐ dàlì tóuzī jīcéng yīliáo, gǔlì huànzhě zài shèqū yīyuàn shǒuzhěn.
China's medical system is undergoing profound reform. Due to accelerating population aging, demand for medical resources is growing. Many patients are forced to queue at top-tier hospitals in large cities, while conditions at grassroots medical institutions are relatively weaker. Affected by this situation, the government has begun investing heavily in grassroots healthcare, encouraging patients to be seen at community hospitals first.
Practice
Exercise 1: Identify whether 被 or 受 fits better, and explain why.
- 他___医生诊断为糖尿病。
- 她的健康___工作压力的影响很大。
- 这种药___批准用于临床治疗。
Exercise 2: Translate into Chinese using 被 or 受.
- The patient was hospitalized after the accident.
- Her recovery was influenced by her positive attitude.
- The new treatment method has been widely adopted.
Exercise 3: Write a paragraph describing a medical experience (real or imagined), using 经过...治疗/手术, 受到影响, and 被 at least once.
Cultural Note
Traditional Chinese medicine (中医, zhōngyī) and Western medicine (西医, xīyī) coexist in China's healthcare system, and patients often combine both. Many Chinese people see a traditional medicine practitioner for chronic issues and a Western doctor for acute conditions. Phrases like 调理身体 (tiáolǐ shēntǐ, to regulate and nourish the body) reflect a preventive, holistic approach rooted in 中医 philosophy that views the body as a system to be kept in balance rather than a machine to be repaired when broken. This cultural context explains why certain health behaviors that seem unusual to Westerners, such as avoiding cold drinks or "nourishing" foods after surgery, make complete sense within the Chinese medical worldview.