Going to hospital in China in Chinese 去医院
qù yīyuàn
Hospital in Chinese is 医院 (yī yuàn).
Also searched for as: hospital in Chinese, A&E in Chinese, emergency room in Chinese, see a doctor in China, register at a hospital.
Registering, queuing and paying at a Chinese hospital. 15 essential Going to hospital in China words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
Going to hospital in China works differently from a GP-based system: you usually go straight to a hospital, and the first step is always 挂号 (guà hào), registering for the right department. You then wait for 叫号 (jiào hào), the calling of your number, and pay at each stage with 缴费 (jiǎo fèi). For anything urgent, head for 急诊 (jí zhěn), the emergency department, which is open around the clock.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 医院 | yī yuàn | hospital |
| 挂号 | guà hào | to register (at a hospital) |
| 门诊 | mén zhěn | outpatient department |
| 急诊 | jí zhěn | A&E; emergency department |
| 内科 | nèi kē | internal medicine (department) |
| 专家号 | zhuān jiā hào | appointment with a senior specialist |
| 叫号 | jiào hào | to call numbers (in a queue) |
| 就诊卡 | jiù zhěn kǎ | patient card |
| 缴费 | jiǎo fèi | to pay (fees) |
| 验血 | yàn xuè | blood test; to have a blood test |
| 拍片子 | pāi piàn zi | to have an X-ray |
| 药房 | yào fáng | pharmacy (in a hospital) |
| 输液 | shū yè | to be on a drip |
| 医保 | yī bǎo | medical insurance |
| 国际部 | guó jì bù | international department (of a hospital) |
Usage tips
- You choose the department yourself when you 挂号, so learn a few: 内科 (nèi kē), internal medicine, 外科 (wài kē), surgery, and 儿科 (ér kē), paediatrics; if unsure, ask at the 导诊台 (dǎo zhěn tái), the information desk.
- You usually pay before each test or prescription rather than at the end, so expect to go back and forth to 缴费 between the doctor, a blood test and the 药房 (yào fáng); many hospitals let you pay on your phone.
- Some large hospitals in big cities have a 国际部 (guó jì bù), an international department with English-speaking staff, but it costs considerably more and may not be covered by 医保 (yī bǎo).
Common mistakes
- Saying 我要看医院 for 'I need to see a doctor': you 去医院 (qù yī yuàn), go to hospital, and 看病 (kàn bìng) or 看医生 (kàn yī shēng), see a doctor.
- Using 药房 (yào fáng) for any chemist: it usually means the dispensary inside a hospital, while a high-street pharmacy is a 药店 (yào diàn).
- Going to 门诊 (mén zhěn), outpatients, in an emergency; it keeps set hours and has long queues, so for anything urgent go to 急诊 (jí zhěn).
Mini dialogue
- A你好，我第一次来，在哪儿挂号？Nǐ hǎo, wǒ dì yī cì lái, zài nǎr guà hào?Hello, it's my first time here. Where do I register?
- B先办一张就诊卡，然后在那边挂号。你哪儿不舒服？Xiān bàn yī zhāng jiù zhěn kǎ, rán hòu zài nà biān guà hào. Nǐ nǎr bù shū fu?First get a patient card, then register over there. What seems to be the problem?
- A我发烧了，嗓子也很疼。Wǒ fā shāo le, sǎng zi yě hěn téng.I've got a fever and a really sore throat.
- B那你挂内科吧。挂完号去二楼等叫号。Nà nǐ guà nèi kē ba. Guà wán hào qù èr lóu děng jiào hào.Then register with internal medicine. After that, go up to the first floor and wait for your number.
- A好的。在哪儿缴费？Hǎo de. Zài nǎr jiǎo fèi?OK. And where do I pay?
- B手机上就可以缴费。Shǒu jī shàng jiù kě yǐ jiǎo fèi.You can pay on your phone.
Example sentences
- 最近的医院在哪儿？Where's the nearest hospital?
- 先去挂号，再去看医生。Register first, then go and see the doctor.
- 门诊一般早上八点开始。Outpatients usually opens at eight in the morning.
- 快送他去急诊！Get him to A&E, quick!
- 肚子疼应该挂内科吧？For a stomach ache I should register with internal medicine, right?
- 专家号很难挂。Specialist appointments are hard to get.
- 请注意听叫号。Please listen out for your number.
- 第一次来一般要办就诊卡。You usually need a patient card on your first visit.
- 先去一楼缴费。Go and pay on the ground floor first.
- 明天早上空腹验血。Tomorrow morning you'll have a fasting blood test.
- 医生让我去拍片子。The doctor sent me for an X-ray.
- 拿着单子去药房取药。Take this slip to the pharmacy to get your medicine.
- 我感冒了，在医院输液。I've got a cold and I'm on a drip at the hospital.
- 你有医保吗？Do you have medical insurance?
- 这家医院有国际部，可以说英语。This hospital has an international department where you can speak English.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Going to hospital in China speaking island has 8 everyday questions about Going to hospital in China to prepare your own answers to.