Chinese for Healthcare Professionals: Key Terms for Medical Consultations with Chinese Patients in Singapore

Chinese for Healthcare Professionals: Key Terms for Medical Consultations with Chinese Patients in Singapore

In Singapore’s multicultural landscape, healthcare professionals often encounter patients from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. With a large Chinese-speaking population, it has become increasingly important for healthcare providers to understand basic Chinese terms, especially for medical consultations. This article aims to help healthcare professionals to understand essential Chinese phrases and key medical terms for better communication with Chinese-speaking patients.

Basic Greetings and Introduction

Healthcare professionals can greet their patients with simple phrases like “您好 (nín hǎo)” meaning “Hello”, and “我是医生 (wǒ shì yī shēng)” meaning “I am the doctor”. Furthermore, when asking about a patient’s condition, healthcare providers can use phrases like “您那里不舒服? (nín nǎ lǐ bù shū fu?)”, which means “Where are you feeling uncomfortable?”.

Body Parts and Senses

In medical consultations, referencing senses and parts of the body is often necessary. Some essential anatomy-related terms include:

  • 身体 shēn tǐ – body
  • 头 tóu – head
  • 眼睛 yǎn jing – eye
  • 鼻子 bí zi – nose
  • 嘴巴 zuǐ bā – mouth
  • 耳朵 ěr duo – ears
  • 脖子 bó zi – neck 
  • 嗓子 sǎng zi – throat
  • 胃 wèi – stomach
  • 心脏 xīn zàng – heart
  • 背 bèi – back
  • 手 shǒu – hand
  • 脚 jiǎo – foot

And below are the senses-related terms:

  • 视觉 shì jué – sight
  • 听觉 tīng jué – hearing
  • 味觉 wèi jué – taste
  • 触觉 chù jué – touch
  • 嗅觉 xiù jué – smell

Symptoms and Conditions

Communicating symptoms is critical in diagnosing and treating patients. Here are some common terms for medical symptoms and conditions:

  • 发烧 fā shāo – fever
  • 咳嗽 ké sou – cough
  • 感冒 gǎn mào – common cold
  • 头晕 tóu yūn – dizziness
  • 过敏 guò mǐn – allergies
  • 食物中毒 shí wù zhòng dú – food poisoning
  • 脱水 tuō shuǐ – dehydration
  • 中暑 zhòng shǔ – heatstroke

Medical History Questions

Understanding a patient’s medical history is essential for accurate diagnosis and treatment. Simple questions to assess medical history include:

  • 您对什么过敏吗？nín duì shén me guò mǐn ma? – Do you have any allergies?
  • 您吃什么药？nín chī shén me yào? – What medications are you taking?
  • 家族有遗传病吗？jiā zú yǒu yí chuán bìng ma? – Is there any family history of hereditary diseases?

Providing Diagnosis and Discussing Treatment Plans

Once a diagnosis is made, healthcare professionals can use the phrase “您有… (nín yǒu…)” meaning “You have…” followed by the condition, such as “糖尿病 (táng niào bìng)” diabetes, or “高血压 (gāo xuè yā)” high blood pressure.

Meanwhile, treatment discussions can include the following phrases:

  • 您需要吃药 nín xū yào chī yào – You need to take medication.
  • 请按时服药 qǐng àn shí fú yào – Please take your medicine on time.
As Singapore’s healthcare system continues to serve a diverse population, learning basic Chinese phrases can significantly enhance patient care. By understanding key terms, healthcare professionals can not only communicate more effectively but also build trust and rapport with their Chinese-speaking patients.

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