guàhàoㄍㄨㄚˋ ㄏㄠˋ
register at the hospital, literally “hang number”
Step one of any visit: you register first, then see a doctor. No appointment system in the traditional walk-in model.
专家号 專家號
zhuānjiā hàoㄓㄨㄢ ㄐㄧㄚ ㄏㄠˋ
specialist appointment slot, literally “expert number”
The scarce premium registration: experts' slots sell out at dawn, scalpers resell them.
普通号 普通號
pǔtōng hàoㄆㄨˇ ㄊㄨㄥ ㄏㄠˋ
regular appointment slot, literally “ordinary number”
The cheap everyday slot: younger doctors, same building, faster access.
号贩子 號販子
hàofànziㄏㄠˋ ㄈㄢˋ ㄗ˙
appointment scalper, literally “number scalper”
The gray-market resellers who hoard expert slots: crackdowns happen, demand persists.
ménzhěnㄇㄣˊ ㄓㄣˇ
outpatient clinic, literally “door consultation”
Walk-in care: most visits happen at the 门诊部, the clinic wing.
jízhěnㄐㄧˊ ㄓㄣˇ
emergency department, literally “urgent consultation”
Emergency care: 24h, triage by severity.
zhùyuànㄓㄨˋ ㄩㄢˋ
be hospitalized, literally “stay hospital”
Admission: beds are scarce in good hospitals, families often 陪护 bedside.
chūyuànㄔㄨ ㄩㄢˋ
be discharged, literally “exit hospital”
Discharge: settle the bill, take the discharge papers.
péihùㄆㄟˊ ㄏㄨˋ
family caregiver staying bedside, literally “accompany care”
Chinese hospitals expect a relative to stay overnight: nursing gaps are filled by family.
tǐjiǎnㄊㄧˇ ㄐㄧㄢˇ
health checkup, literally “body check”
The annual work-unit ritual: blood draws, ultrasounds, chest x-rays.
yùyuēㄩˋ ㄩㄝ
make an appointment, literally “book ahead”
Now done through apps: 网上预约挂号 is the standard.
叫号 叫號
jiàohàoㄐㄧㄠˋ ㄏㄠˋ
call your number, literally “call number”
The waiting-room voice announcing queue numbers: don't miss yours.
分诊台 分診臺
fēnzhěntáiㄈㄣ ㄓㄣˇ ㄊㄞˊ
triage desk, literally “sort consultation desk”
The nurse who routes you: tell her symptoms, get directed to the right department.
yībǎoㄧ ㄅㄠˇ
medical insurance, literally “medical insurance”
The state insurance card: 刷医保卡 at the hospital, reimbursement varies by city.
zìfèiㄗˋ ㄈㄟˋ
self-paid (out of pocket), literally “self expense”
The uncovered part: fancy drugs and private clinics are 自费.
三甲医院 三甲醫院
sānjiǎ yīyuànㄙㄢ ㄐㄧㄚˇ ㄧ ㄩㄢˋ
tier-3 grade-A hospital, literally “three-A hospital”
The top tier of China's hospital ranking: best doctors, longest queues.
社区医院 社區醫院
shèqū yīyuànㄕㄜˋ ㄑㄩ ㄧ ㄩㄢˋ
community clinic, literally “community hospital”
The neighborhood clinic: vaccinations, minor illness, referrals.
jiùhùchēㄐㄧㄡˋ ㄏㄨˋ ㄔㄜ
ambulance, literally “rescue car”
Dial 120. Charged per call, unlike the free emergency model elsewhere.
jiànbǎoㄐㄧㄢˋ ㄅㄠˇ
Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI), literally “health insurance”
The single-payer system covering ~99% of Taiwan: swipe the 健保卡 and a clinic visit costs pocket change. Famous internationally and fiercely protected domestically.
pījiàㄆㄧ ㄐㄧㄚˋ
the billing-counter step after a Taiwan consult, literally “batch-price”
Taiwan hospital flow: 挂号 → 看诊 → 批价 (pay at the counter) → 领药. Where mainland says 缴费, the counter window sign reads 批價.
zhuǎnzhěnㄓㄨㄢˇ ㄓㄣˇ
referral to a higher-level hospital, literally “transfer-visit”
Taiwan nudges you toward clinics first: a 转诊单 referral gets you into a medical center faster and cheaper than walking in cold.
huízhěnㄏㄨㄟˊ ㄓㄣˇ
follow-up visit, literally “return-visit”
After treatment or surgery you get told 两周后回诊. The follow-up slot, the report check, the stitch removal - all 回诊.
kànzhěnㄎㄢˋ ㄓㄣˇ
consultation (the Taiwan word for 看病), literally “see-consult”
Same act as 看病, but 看诊 is what Taiwan clinics print on signs and say at the desk: 现在看诊到几号?
yàojúㄧㄠˋ ㄐㄩˊ
pharmacy (Taiwan; mainland 药店), literally “medicine-bureau”
The Taiwan word on every corner sign. Prescriptions get picked up at the 药局 after 批价, and the pharmacist there answers minor questions too.
bìnglìㄅㄧㄥˋ ㄌㄧˋ
medical record; patient chart, literally “illness-history”
Your file: mainland hospitals sell a paper 病历本 booklet you carry between visits; Taiwan keeps records digitally inside each hospital.
发热门诊 發熱門診
fārè ménzhěnㄈㄚ ㄖㄜˋ ㄇㄣˊ ㄓㄣˇ
fever clinic, literally “fever clinic”
Post-pandemic infrastructure: fevers route to a separate screening wing.
nèikēㄋㄟˋ ㄎㄜ
internal medicine, literally “internal department”
The non-surgical wing: organs, infections, chronic disease.
wàikēㄨㄞˋ ㄎㄜ
surgery, literally “external department”
The cutting wing: injuries, operations, anything that opens you.
érkēㄦˊ ㄎㄜ
pediatrics, literally “child department”
Kids' ward: chaotic, loud, essential.
fùkēㄈㄨˋ ㄎㄜ
gynecology, literally “women's department”
Women's health department.
chǎnkēㄔㄢˇ ㄎㄜ
obstetrics, literally “birth department”
Pregnancy and delivery ward.
pífūkēㄆㄧˊ ㄈㄨ ㄎㄜ
dermatology, literally “skin department”
Rashes, acne, allergies, hair loss.
yákēㄧㄚˊ ㄎㄜ
dentistry, literally “tooth department”
Teeth: extractions, cleanings, root canals. Often a separate clinic entirely.
yǎnkēㄧㄢˇ ㄎㄜ
ophthalmology, literally “eye department”
Eyes: glasses exams, cataracts, LASIK.
耳鼻喉科
ěrbíhóu kēㄦˇ ㄅㄧˊ ㄏㄡˊ ㄎㄜ
ENT (ear nose throat), literally “ear nose throat dept”
The combined specialty: sinusitis, tonsils, ear infections.
gǔkēㄍㄨˇ ㄎㄜ
orthopedics, literally “bone department”
Bones and joints: fractures, arthritis, spinal issues.
精神科
jīngshénkēㄐㄧㄥ ㄕㄣˊ ㄎㄜ
psychiatry, literally “spirit department”
Mental health: stigma persists but usage is rising fast.
zhèngzhuàngㄓㄥˋ ㄓㄨㄤˋ
symptom, literally “symptom”
The word doctors ask for first: 有什么症状？
fāshāoㄈㄚ ㄕㄠ
fever, literally “emit burn”
38.5°C is the threshold for meds, per standard advice.
késouㄎㄜˊ ㄙㄡ˙
cough, literally “cough”
干咳 is dry, 有痰 is productive.
tóuténgㄊㄡˊ ㄊㄥˊ
headache, literally “head ache”
Also used figuratively: 这事真让人头疼 'this is a real headache'.
lādùziㄌㄚ ㄉㄨˋ ㄗ˙
diarrhea, literally “pull belly”
The traveler's complaint: street food and spicy hotpot's revenge.
guòmǐnㄍㄨㄛˋ ㄇㄧㄣˇ
allergic reaction, literally “over-sensitive”
Spring pollen, seafood, cosmetics all trigger.
fāyánㄈㄚ ㄧㄢˊ
inflammation, literally “emit inflammation”
Infections and swelling: the trigger for antibiotics.
gǔzhéㄍㄨˇ ㄓㄜˊ
fracture, literally “bone break”
Broken bones go to 骨科, get 打石膏.
niǔshāngㄋㄧㄡˇ ㄕㄤ
sprain, literally “twist injury”
The ankle classic: RICE applies, then 云南白药 spray.
gāoxuèyāㄍㄠ ㄒㄩㄝˋ ㄧㄚ
hypertension, literally “high blood pressure”
The chronic national condition: 三高 (high blood pressure/sugar/lipids) is the middle-age triad.
tángniàobìngㄊㄤˊ ㄋㄧㄠˋ ㄅㄧㄥˋ
diabetes, literally “sugar urine disease”
Blood-sugar management: diet, insulin, monitoring.
gǎnmàoㄍㄢˇ ㄇㄠˋ
common cold, literally “catch cold”
The everyday illness: 风寒感冒 vs 风热感冒 in TCM.
阳了 陽了
yáng leㄧㄤˊ ㄌㄜ˙
tested positive (for COVID), literally “went positive”
The pandemic-era coinage: antigen tests turn 阳.
shíwùzhòngdúㄕˊ ㄨˋ ㄓㄨㄥˋ ㄉㄨˊ
food poisoning, literally “food middle-poison”
The phrase for the classic travel disaster: vomiting, diarrhea, the works. 吃到食物中毒 = got food poisoning from something you ate.
hésuānㄏㄜˊ ㄙㄨㄢ
nucleic acid test, literally “nucleic acid”
The covid test word that entered permanent vocabulary: '做核酸' became a routine verb.
chǔfāngㄔㄨˇ ㄈㄤ
prescription, literally “treatment formula”
The doctor's order: take it to 药房 to get meds.
kāiyàoㄎㄞ ㄧㄠˋ
prescribe medication, literally “open medicine”
The prescription act: 医生给你开药.
shūyèㄕㄨ ㄧㄝˋ
IV drip, literally “infuse fluid”
The Chinese hospital staple: IV drips for everything from colds to fatigue, overused historically.
dǎzhēnㄉㄚˇ ㄓㄣ
injection, literally “hit needle”
Shots: vaccines, antibiotics, anything poking.
chōuxuèㄔㄡ ㄒㄩㄝˋ
blood draw, literally “draw blood”
Fasting morning draws are standard for annual checkups.
huàyànㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄧㄢˋ
lab test, literally “transform test”
Blood, urine, stool samples get analyzed.
拍片子
pāi piānziㄆㄞ ㄆㄧㄢ ㄗ˙
get an X-ray, literally “shoot film”
The imaging order: X-rays, then the bigger scans.
CT
CT
CT scan, literally “computed tomography”
The advanced imaging: more expensive, more detailed.
B超
B chāoB ㄔㄠ
ultrasound, literally “B ultrasound”
The imaging workhorse: pregnancy, organs, abdomen.
核磁
hécíㄏㄜˊ ㄘˊ
MRI, literally “nuclear magnetic”
磁共振 imaging: the premium scan.
wèijìngㄨㄟˋ ㄐㄧㄥˋ
gastroscopy, literally “stomach scope”
The dreaded tube-down-the-throat: painless versions exist.
shǒushùㄕㄡˇ ㄕㄨˋ
surgery, literally “hand technique”
The operation: families sign the consent form.
mázuìㄇㄚˊ ㄗㄨㄟˋ
anesthesia, literally “numbness drunkenness”
Local vs general: 全麻 puts you under, 局麻 stays local.
féngzhēnㄈㄥˊ ㄓㄣ
stitches, literally “sew needle”
Sutures for cuts: 缝了三针.
fùcháㄈㄨˋ ㄔㄚˊ
follow-up check, literally “repeat check”
The return visit to confirm recovery.
jíjiùㄐㄧˊ ㄐㄧㄡˋ
emergency care; first aid, literally “urgent-rescue”
The word on the ambulance bay sign (急救/急诊室) and the term for CPR-and-bandage first aid: 急救箱 is a first-aid kit.
zhǐtòngyàoㄓˇ ㄊㄨㄥˋ ㄧㄠˋ
painkillers, literally “stop-pain medicine”
The shelf you point at in a pharmacy when you cannot name your pain: 止痛药 covers ibuprofen to acetaminophen. Stronger ones need a 处方.
kàngshēngsùㄎㄤˋ ㄕㄥ ㄙㄨˋ
antibiotics, literally “anti-life element”
Both health systems preach 不要滥用抗生素 - do not overuse - since Chinese pharmacies historically sold them casually. Finish the whole course: 抗生素要吃完整疗程.
bēngdàiㄅㄥ ㄉㄞˋ
bandage; gauze wrap, literally “bind-strip”
The wrap for sprains and wounds. First-aid vocabulary: 消毒 then 贴上纱布, 缠上绷带.
中医科 中醫科
zhōngyīkēㄓㄨㄥ ㄧ ㄎㄜ
traditional Chinese medicine department, literally “Chinese medicine dept”
The parallel system inside general hospitals: acupuncture, herbs, 把脉.
jìkǒuㄐㄧˋ ㄎㄡˇ
dietary restrictions (medical), literally “avoid mouth”
The foods you must skip: 忌辛辣, no alcohol, no seafood while healing.
忌辛辣
jì xīnlàㄐㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄣ ㄌㄚˋ
avoid spicy food, literally “avoid spicy”
The standard TCM advice: hot food aggravates inflammation.
清淡饮食 清淡飲食
qīngdàn yǐnshíㄑㄧㄥ ㄉㄢˋ ㄧㄣˇ ㄕˊ
bland diet, literally “light diet”
The recovery diet: congee, vegetables, no grease.
多喝水
duō hēshuǐㄉㄨㄛ ㄏㄜ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
drink more water, literally “much drink water”
The universal Chinese remedy and the infamous boyfriend answer: '多喝热水' is a meme for useless care.
多喝热水 多喝熱水
duō hē rèshuǐㄉㄨㄛ ㄏㄜ ㄖㄜˋ ㄕㄨㄟˇ
drink more hot water (the meme), literally “much drink hot water”
The stereotype male response to any complaint: a running joke about emotional cluelessness.
shànghuǒㄕㄤˋ ㄏㄨㄛˇ
internal heat (TCM), literally “rise fire”
The TCM diagnosis for acne, canker sores, sore throats: 'heat' rising. Remedy: 降火 bitter tea, pear soup.
shīqìㄕ ㄑㄧˋ
dampness (TCM), literally “wet qi”
The TCM evil: heaviness, fatigue, oily skin. Remedy: red bean coix tea.
hánqìㄏㄢˊ ㄑㄧˋ
cold qi (TCM), literally “cold qi”
The TCM evil invading through cold floors and bare ankles: grandmas will warn you.
bǎmàiㄅㄚˇ ㄇㄞˋ
taking the pulse, literally “hold pulse”
The TCM diagnostic: three fingers on the wrist read your whole system.
zhēnjiǔㄓㄣ ㄐㄧㄡˇ
acupuncture, literally “needle moxa”
Needles into meridian points: pain relief, wellness maintenance.
báguànㄅㄚˊ ㄍㄨㄢˋ
cupping, literally “pull jar”
Suction cups on the back: the purple circles athletes made famous.
guāshāㄍㄨㄚ ㄕㄚ
gua sha scraping, literally “scrape sand”
Scraping skin to redness: releases 'heat', marks for days.
piānfāngㄆㄧㄢ ㄈㄤ
folk remedy, literally “side prescription”
Grandmother cures: ginger tea for colds, pear soup for coughs.
yǎngshēngㄧㄤˇ ㄕㄥ
health preservation, literally “nurture life”
The whole lifestyle: goji berries in thermos, foot soaks, early sleep. Now ironically adopted by exhausted millennials.
保温杯泡枸杞 保溫杯泡枸杞
bǎowēnbēi pào gǒuqǐㄅㄠˇ ㄨㄣ ㄅㄟ ㄆㄠˋ ㄍㄡˇ ㄑㄧˇ
goji berries in a thermos, literally “thermos soaks goji”
The middle-age stereotype that young people ironically adopted: self-care as identity.