The Chinese you need.
BOOK REVIEW
It’s no secret that at Elementary Chinese, I don’t like grammar. I focus on the everyday Chinese you need to communicate what you want.
But, if you are a very studious individual or you’re learning for the HSK exams this grammar book is solid.
CHINESE VOCAB
If you live in China you’ll undoubtedly have visited a Chinese hospital, drank some crazy Chinese medicine, had communication barriers with the Doctors and Nurses and found yourself with a prescription of a billion different medicines and instructions.
Being sick in a foreign country can be super overwhelming, especially when you’re far away from family members and loved ones. Who’s gonna make your soup, bring you blankets and love you unconditionally when you’re all bunged up?
Side note: this video was filmed in September 2019. I am healthy and my heart goes out to those quarantined in China, and globally at this time.
In this video, I visit the hospital and break down some of the basic phrases you need to know to communicate effectively with your Doctor or Nurse.
Also, when I first arrived in China I was super surprised to be visiting a hospital for something as simple as a cold. Clinics and Doctors Surgeries are not so common, for most illnesses you go straight to the hospital and they’ll
I’ve known expats who have taken Chinese colleagues or friends with them to the hospital to help with translation. It really helps when you’re in distress to be with someone you trust has your best interests at heart and can speak the language fluently. However, don’t get sucked into this trap of asking someone to speak for you. Actively seek out new words and situations that expand your Chinese vocab.
Finally, always check with your insurance before visiting a hospital. Most insurances work with a number of approved hospitals, so make sure you’re covered before getting treatment and ending up with a huge bill that the insurance won’t cover.
Now, for those phrases:
I have a cold.
我感冒了
wǒ gǎn mào le
Fever
发烧
fā shāo
Headache
头疼
tóu téng
Dizziness
头晕
tóu yūn
Nausea 🤢
恶心
é xīn
Vomit
呕吐
óu tù
Diarrhea
拉肚子
lā dù zi
If you want to be confident that your tones sound good when you speak Mandarin, and you want strategies to effectively learn Chinese on your own, then I’m here to help you! 🙌🏾
A quick and important disclosure:
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that if you choose to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you. I recommend them because they are helpful and useful.
CHINESE VOCAB
Today I’m in a supermarket and we’ll go through from start to finish what to say when paying for items at a cash register.
One of my most useful tips is to go to 7/11 or Family Mart and just listen to how the cashier greets other people in the queue. Listen to how they respond. Listen to how they ask for food items and how the cashier asks for money or methods of payment. Listen to the conversation about scanning QR codes, and using AliPay or WeChat. Write it all down in a note in your phone.
Go back to work and ask your colleagues to decipher your notes. Maybe you missed something and they can help you fill in the blanks. The next day go to the supermarket and listen all over again. Go early, during rush hour when everyone is getting their breakfast just before work. That way there will be more people in the queue and you can listen to the dialogue over and over again.
Learn Chinese. Communicate. Have fun. That’s my motto.
But, be careful what you say. When your Chinese is limited you might give off the wrong idea, say something that means something else, or get yourself into a sticky situation.
Read more to find out what happened to this model, in a bar, after saying something that she thought meant something else. Oops.
BOOK REVIEW
Way back when I first started to learn Chinese, I was based in Paris, France. I know, a strange place to start learning Chinese. But, that’s a story for another time.
This book was hugely popular and very common among Europeans learning Chinese. I’ve finally got around to reviewing it. Let’s see whether it really does help you learn Chinese with ease?
CHINA VPN
Does Nord VPN work well here in China? I put out a poll on my Instagram asking followers who live in China which VPN they use.
I’ve collated a few opinions from those who have experience using Nord VPN in China. Let’s find out what they think.