Body Parts in Chinese 身体
shēntǐ
Body parts in Chinese is 身体部位 (shēn tǐ bù wèi).
Also searched for as: body, parts of the body, head shoulders knees and toes.
How are you feeling physically? 20 essential the body 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.
The word for body in Chinese is 身体 (shēn tǐ), which also means health, as in 身体好 (shēn tǐ hǎo), to be in good health. These words cover the body from 头 (tóu), head, to 脚 (jiǎo), foot, and are essential for describing aches and pains at the doctor's or the pharmacy. Many follow a pattern you can reuse straight away: body part plus 疼 (téng), so 头疼 is a headache and 肚子疼 (dù zi téng) a stomach ache.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 身体 | shēn tǐ | body |
| 头 | tóu | head |
| 头发 | tóu fa | hair |
| 脸 | liǎn | face |
| 眼睛 | yǎn jing | eye |
| 耳朵 | ěr duo | ear |
| 鼻子 | bí zi | nose |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth |
| 牙齿 | yá chǐ | tooth |
| 脖子 | bó zi | neck |
| 肩膀 | jiān bǎng | shoulder |
| 手 | shǒu | hand |
| 手指 | shǒu zhǐ | finger |
| 胳膊 | gē bo | arm |
| 腿 | tuǐ | leg |
| 脚 | jiǎo | foot |
| 肚子 | dù zi | belly |
| 背 | bèi | back |
| 心 | xīn | heart |
| 皮肤 | pí fū | skin |
Usage tips
- Soften 'my X hurts' with 有点儿 (yǒu diǎnr): 我腿有点儿疼 (wǒ tuǐ yǒu diǎnr téng). 疼 is the everyday northern word; in southern China, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia you'll often hear 痛 (tòng) instead.
- 手 (shǒu) is only the hand, while the arm is 胳膊 (gē bo) in everyday speech or 手臂 (shǒu bì) in more formal language.
- 心 (xīn) is the heart as an organ but also the mind and feelings, which is why it appears in so many emotion words, such as 开心 (kāi xīn), happy, and 伤心 (shāng xīn), heartbroken.
Common mistakes
- Learners say 我有头疼, copying 'I have a headache'; drop the 有 and say 我头疼 (wǒ tóu téng) or 我有点儿头疼 (wǒ yǒu diǎnr tóu téng).
- 背 has two readings: bèi is the back of your body, but bēi means to carry on your back, as in 背书包 (bēi shū bāo), to carry a school bag.
Mini dialogue
- A你怎么了？脸色不太好。Nǐ zěn me le? Liǎn sè bù tài hǎo.What's up? You don't look too good.
- B我头有点儿疼，脖子也很酸。Wǒ tóu yǒu diǎnr téng, bó zi yě hěn suān.My head hurts a bit and my neck aches too.
- A你看电脑看太久了吧？Nǐ kàn diàn nǎo kàn tài jiǔ le ba?You've probably been staring at the computer too long.
- B对，今天一直在工作，肩膀和背都不舒服。Duì, jīn tiān yī zhí zài gōng zuò, jiān bǎng hé bèi dōu bù shū fu.Yes, I've been working all day and my shoulders and back are stiff too.
- A起来走走吧，对身体好。Qǐ lái zǒu zou ba, duì shēn tǐ hǎo.Get up and walk around a bit, it's good for you.
Example sentences
- 多运动，身体才会好。Exercise more and your body will stay healthy.
- 我的头有点儿晕。My head feels a bit dizzy.
- 你的头发剪短了！You've had your hair cut short!
- 她的脸红了。Her face went red.
- 这个孩子的眼睛很大。This child has big eyes.
- 兔子的耳朵很长。Rabbits have long ears.
- 我感冒了，鼻子不通。I've got a cold and my nose is blocked.
- 张开嘴，我看看。Open your mouth and let me have a look.
- 她的牙齿又白又整齐。Her teeth are white and straight.
- 看了一天电脑，脖子很酸。My neck aches after a day at the computer.
- 他拍了拍我的肩膀。He patted me on the shoulder.
- 吃饭前要洗手。Wash your hands before you eat.
- 宝宝抓住了我的手指。The baby grabbed my finger.
- 我的胳膊有点儿疼。My arm hurts a bit.
- 走了一天路，腿很累。My legs are tired after walking all day.
- 这双鞋穿着脚疼。My feet hurt in these shoes.
- 吃太多了，肚子好饱。I've eaten too much and my belly is so full.
- 我背疼，不能搬重东西。My back hurts, so I can't lift heavy things.
- 我的心跳得很快。My heart is beating fast.
- 冬天皮肤很干。Skin gets very dry in winter.
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The The body speaking island has 8 everyday questions about the body to prepare your own answers to.