You do not need to learn Chinese to get healthcare in China, but knowing a few dozen key terms turns a bewildering experience into a manageable one.
Registration and Departments
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 挂号处 | guahaochu |
| International department | 国际部 | guojibu |
| Health screening center | 体检中心 | tijianzhongxin |
| Outpatient | 门诊 | menzhen |
| Pharmacy | 药房 | yaofang |
| Emergency | 急诊 | jizhen |
Common Tests
| English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| Blood test | 抽血 | chouxue |
| X-ray | 拍片 | paipian |
| CT scan | CT扫描 | CT saomiao |
| Ultrasound | B超 | Bchao |
| MRI | 核磁共振 | hecigongzhen |
| ECG | 心电图 | xindiantu |
Essential Phrases
- I need an English speaker (wo xuyao hui shuo yingyu de ren)
- I have an appointment (wo you yuyue)
- Please give me an English report (qing gei wo yingwen baogao)
- Where is the screening center? (tijian zhongxin zai nali?)
- I am fasting (wo zai kongfu)
The Real Advice
Use the cheat sheet for orientation, but book through the international department or a coordinator for anything clinical. A phrasebook gets you to the right floor; it does not discuss your results.