Chinese Lesson: I have a cold

Its already November and the weather is getting colder. Its easy to catch a cold in these days.

Maybe you need to see a doctor. Do you know how to talk about your symptoms in Chinese?

First, when you see the doctor you can say, that you’re having a cold: 我感冒了 (wŏ găn mào le).

Alternatively, when you catched the flu you can say: 我得了流感 (wŏ de le liú găn).

You go to see the doctor because you need some medicine (感冒药 găn mào yào) for your cold, right? In Chinese you can say: 我需要一些治疗感冒的药 (wŏ xū yào yī xiē zhì liáo găn mào de yào).

Next, the doctor will probably ask you a couple of questions. Here are some of the questions he or she might ask and how to answer them:

How long have you felt this way? 这个状况持续多久了？(zhè gè zhuàng kuàng chí xù duō jiǔ le)

I have felt this way for three days. 有3天了 (yǒu 3 tiān le)

Do you have a fever? 你发烧了吗？(nĭ fā shāo le mā)

Yes, I have a fever. 是的，我发烧了 (shì de wŏ fā shāo le)

I have chills. 我受了风寒 (wŏ shòu le fēng hán)

My throat hurts. 我喉咙疼 (wǒ hóu lóng téng)

I have headache. 我头痛 (wŏ tóu tòng)

I have a bad cough. 我咳嗽厉害 (wŏ ké sou lì hai)

I have a running nose. 我流鼻涕 (wŏ liú bí tì)

If the doctor suggests you to take medicine, he or she will also let you know how often you need to take them. For example:

Take two pills a day. 一天吃两片 (yī tiān chī liăng piān)

Furthermore, he or she might suggest you to take bed rest: 卧床休息 (wò chuáng xiū xi)