Health and illness in Chinese
The Chinese word for "health and illness" is 健康 (jiàn kāng). Below are 47 Chinese words for health and illness, each with pinyin, English and its level in the new HSK 3.0 word list. They cover HSK 2 to HSK 7-9, in the order a learner meets them.
Health & Illness HSK 3 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 发烧 | fā shāo | to have a high temperature (from illness) | 3 |
| 感冒 | gǎn mào | to catch cold | 3 |
| 健康 | jiàn kāng | health | 3 |
| 疼 | téng | (it) hurts; sore | 2 |
| 舒服 | shū fu | comfortable | 2 |
| 检查 | jiǎn chá | to examine; to check | 3 |
| 锻炼 | duàn liàn | to exercise; to work out | 3 |
| 担心 | dān xīn | to worry | 3 |
| 放心 | fàng xīn | to feel relieved | 3 |
| 体育 | tǐ yù | sports | 3 |
| 爬山 | pá shān | to climb a mountain | – |
Health & body HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 咳嗽 | ké sou | to cough | 4 |
| 打针 | dǎ zhēn | to give or have an injection | 4 |
| 减肥 | jiǎn féi | to lose weight | 5 |
| 汗 | hàn | perspiration; sweat | 4 |
| 皮肤 | pí fū | skin | 4 |
| 血 | xuè | blood | 4 |
| 生命 | shēng mìng | life (as the characteristic of living beings) | 4 |
| 死 | sǐ | to die | 4 |
| 受不了 | shòu bù liǎo | unbearable | 4 |
| 力气 | lì qi | strength | 4 |
| 抽烟 | chōu yān | to smoke (a cigarette, tobacco) | – |
| 肚子 | dù zi | belly | 4 |
| 嘴 | zuǐ | mouth | 3 |
Physical sensations & states HSK 4 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 难受 | nán shòu | feel unwell/uncomfortable (physically or emotionally) | 4 |
| 冷静 | lěng jìng | calm/cool-headed | 4 |
| 紧张 | jǐn zhāng | nervous/tense | 4 |
| 无聊 | wú liáo | bored/boring | 4 |
| 有趣 | yǒu qù | interesting/fun | 4 |
| 精神 | jīng shén | spirit/energy; lively | 5 |
| 感觉 | gǎn jué | feeling; to feel/sense | 4 |
| 轻松 | qīng sōng | relaxed/easygoing | 4 |
| 响 | xiǎng | to sound; loud | 4 |
| 心情 | xīn qíng | mood/state of mind | 4 |
| 火 | huǒ | fire; (colloq.) angry; popular | 4 |
| 困 | kùn | sleepy; tired | 4 |
Health, Medicine & Wellbeing HSK 5 lesson
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | HSK 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 病毒 | bìng dú | virus | 6 |
| 残疾 | cán jí | disabled, handicapped | 6 |
| 传染 | chuán rǎn | to infect, contagious | 6 |
| 打喷嚏 | dǎ pēn tì | to sneeze | 7-9 |
| 挂号 | guà hào | to register (at a hospital) | 5 |
| 过敏 | guò mǐn | to have an allergy | 5 |
| 呼吸 | hū xī | to breathe | 5 |
| 缓解 | huǎn jiě | to relieve, alleviate | 5 |
| 戒烟 | jiè yān | to quit smoking | – |
| 救护车 | jiù hù chē | ambulance | 5 |
| 满足 | mǎn zú | to satisfy; satisfied | 5 |
Every word links to its dictionary entry, with audio, example sentences and stroke order. The words are grouped by the GraphChinese lesson that teaches them, so a few in each group belong to the lesson and sit a little outside the topic.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you say "health and illness" in Chinese?
健康 (jiàn kāng), meaning "health; healthy". The most common words in this topic are 发烧 (fā shāo, to have a high temperature (from illness)), 感冒 (gǎn mào, to catch cold), 健康 (jiàn kāng, health), 疼 (téng, (it) hurts).
How many Chinese words for health and illness do I need?
This page lists 47, from HSK 2 to HSK 7-9. The 11 at the top are enough to start; the rest follow level by level.
What do the HSK levels on this page mean?
Each word shows where the new HSK 3.0 word list places it, from level 1 to the 7-9 band. A dash means the word is taught in the course and is not on the HSK 3.0 list. HSK 3.0, complete.
How do I pronounce these words?
The pinyin beside each word gives the sound and the tone. Each word links to its dictionary entry, where you can hear it. If the tone marks are new to you, start with the four tones, explained.
GraphChinese teaches these words in dependency order, with audio, and only moves on when each one is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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