Chinese13 Flashcards
身體
(shēn tǐ) = Body / Physical health
This term breaks down as:
- 身 (shēn) = body/person/oneself
- 體 (tǐ) = body/form/style
Together they form the word for “body” or “physical health,” referring to the physical structure of a person or animal, or to one’s physical condition and wellness.
頭
(tóu) = Head
This character refers to the head of a body (human or animal). It can also be used in extended meanings, such as:
- The top or upper part of something
- The first or leading position
- A measure word for certain animals or objects
- A suffix for certain nouns
The basic meaning is the physical head that contains the brain, face, etc.
肩(膀)
(jiān bǎng) = Shoulder
This term refers to the body part where the arm connects to the torso. The term can be used in two ways:
- 肩 (jiān) = shoulder (this can be used alone)
- 肩膀 (jiān bǎng) = shoulder (the full compound word)
Both forms refer to the same body part, with 肩膀 being the more complete term.
胸(部)
(xiōng bù) = Chest / Breast
This term breaks down as:
- 胸 (xiōng) = chest/breast
- 部 (bù) = part/section/department
Together they form the word for the chest or breast area of the body - the front part of the torso between the neck and abdomen.
手臂
(shǒu bì) = Arm
This term breaks down as:
- 手 (shǒu) = hand
- 臂 (bì) = arm
Together they form the word for “arm,” specifically referring to the upper limb from the shoulder to the hand.
腰(部)
腰部 (yāo bù) = Waist / Waist area
This term breaks down as:
- 腰 (yāo) = waist
- 部 (bù) = part/section/area
Together they refer to the waist or the middle part of the body between the ribs and hips. The character 腰 alone can also mean “waist,” with 腰部 being a more specific anatomical reference.
肚子/腹部
肚子 (dù zi) = Belly / Stomach
腹部 (fù bù) = Abdomen / Belly
These two terms both refer to the front part of the body below the chest and above the pelvis, though with slight differences:
- 肚子 (dù zi) is more colloquial and commonly used in everyday speech, like saying “belly” or “tummy”
- 腹部 (fù bù) is more formal or medical, similar to saying “abdomen” in English
手
(shǒu) = Hand
This character refers to the part of the human body at the end of the arm, including the palm, fingers, and thumb. It can also be extended to mean:
- To handle or manage something
- To be skilled at something
- A person who performs a specific task
大腿
(dà tuǐ) = Thigh
This term breaks down as:
- 大 (dà) = big/large
- 腿 (tuǐ) = leg
Together they form the word for “thigh,” referring to the upper part of the leg between the hip and the knee.
膝蓋
(xī gài) = Knee
This term breaks down as:
- 膝 (xī) = knee
- 蓋 (gài) = lid/cover/cap
Together they form the word for “knee,” referring to the joint between the thigh and the lower leg.
小腿
(xiǎo tuǐ) = Calf / Lower leg
This term breaks down as:
- 小 (xiǎo) = small
- 腿 (tuǐ) = leg
Together they form the word for the “calf” or “lower leg,” referring to the back part of the leg between the knee and ankle.
腳
(jiǎo) = Foot
This character refers to the part of the body at the end of the leg. It can also have extended meanings in various contexts:
Examples:
- 腳趾 (jiǎo zhǐ) = toe
- 腳踝 (jiǎo huái) = ankle
- 腳步 (jiǎo bù) = footstep
- 腳印 (jiǎo yìn) = footprint
- 手腳 (shǒu jiǎo) = limbs (literally “hands and feet”)
- 腳手架 (jiǎo shǒu jià) = scaffold
In some expressions, it can also refer to the base of something or a foundation.
不舒服
不舒服 (bù shū fu) = Uncomfortable / Not feeling well
This phrase breaks down as:
- 不 (bù) = not/negative prefix
- 舒服 (shū fu) = comfortable/feeling well
Examples:
- 我今天感覺不舒服 (wǒ jīn tiān gǎn jué bù shū fu) = I don’t feel well today
- 肚子不舒服 (dù zi bù shū fu) = Stomach discomfort
- 這鞋子穿起來不舒服 (zhè xié zi chuān qǐ lái bù shū fu) = These shoes are uncomfortable to wear
- 頭很不舒服 (tóu hěn bù shū fu) = Having a headache/feeling unwell in the head
- 睡得不舒服 (shuì de bù shū fu) = Slept uncomfortably
This phrase is commonly used to describe physical discomfort, illness, or when something doesn’t feel right.
怪怪的
(guài guài de) = Strange / Weird / Odd / Unusual
This phrase breaks down as:
- 怪 (guài) = strange (repeated for emphasis)
- 的 (de) = possessive/descriptive particle
Examples:
- 他今天看起來怪怪的 (tā jīn tiān kàn qǐ lái guài guài de) = He looks strange today
- 這湯的味道怪怪的 (zhè tāng de wèi dào guài guài de) = This soup tastes weird
- 我感覺身體怪怪的 (wǒ gǎn jué shēn tǐ guài guài de) = My body feels odd
- 那個地方的氣氛怪怪的 (nà gè dì fāng de qì fēn guài guài de) = The atmosphere of that place is strange
- 他說話怪怪的 (tā shuō huà guài guài de) = The way he talks is weird
The reduplication of 怪 makes the meaning more colloquial and often implies a subtle or hard-to-define strangeness rather than something obviously unusual.
痛/疼
(tòng/téng) = Pain / Hurt / Ache
These two characters both mean pain or hurt, though they can be used in slightly different contexts:
Examples using 痛 (tòng):
- 頭痛 (tóu tòng) = headache
- 心痛 (xīn tòng) = heartache (both literal and figurative)
- 痛苦 (tòng kǔ) = suffering/agony
- 痛恨 (tòng hèn) = to hate intensely
- 痛哭 (tòng kū) = to cry bitterly
Examples using 疼 (téng):
- 肚子疼 (dù zi téng) = stomachache
- 牙疼 (yá téng) = toothache
- 疼愛 (téng ài) = to love dearly (especially for parents to children)
- 我疼你 (wǒ téng nǐ) = I care for you/I cherish you
- 骨頭疼 (gǔ tou téng) = bone ache
Generally, 疼 is often used more for physical pain and expressions of affection, while 痛 can extend to emotional suffering and more intense pain, but there is considerable overlap in usage.
痠
(suān) = Sore / Aching / Acid
This character refers to a specific type of pain or discomfort, typically describing muscle soreness or an aching sensation.
Examples:
- 肌肉痠痛 (jī ròu suān tòng) = muscle soreness
- 腿痠了 (tuǐ suān le) = legs are sore
- 背痠 (bèi suān) = back ache/soreness
- 痠軟 (suān ruǎn) = sore and weak (describing muscles)
- 眼睛痠澀 (yǎn jīng suān sè) = eyes feeling tired and sore
- 痠酸 (suān suān) = sore and achy
The character can also relate to acidity in taste contexts, though this usage is less common than the physical discomfort meaning. It’s especially common when describing the aftermath of physical exertion or maintaining a position for too long.
腫
(zhǒng) = Swollen / Swelling
This character refers to a condition where a part of the body becomes enlarged or puffy, typically due to injury, inflammation, or fluid retention.
Examples:
- 眼睛腫了 (yǎn jīng zhǒng le) = eyes are swollen
- 腫脹 (zhǒng zhàng) = swelling/edema
- 臉腫 (liǎn zhǒng) = face is swollen
- 腳踝腫了 (jiǎo huái zhǒng le) = ankle is swollen
- 手指腫起來 (shǒu zhǐ zhǒng qǐ lái) = fingers have become swollen
- 腫塊 (zhǒng kuài) = a swollen lump
This condition is often associated with injury, allergic reactions, infections, or other medical conditions that cause fluid buildup in body tissues.
暈
(yūn) = Dizzy / Faint / Halo
This versatile character primarily refers to a feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness, but it has several extended meanings as well.
Examples:
- 頭暈 (tóu yūn) = dizzy/lightheaded
- 暈倒 (yūn dǎo) = to faint/pass out
- 暈車 (yūn chē) = carsick/motion sickness
- 暈船 (yūn chuán) = seasick
- 暈機 (yūn jī) = airsick
- 月暈 (yuè yūn) = moon halo
- 太陽暈 (tài yáng yūn) = sun halo
- 暈染 (yūn rǎn) = to blur/blend colors (in painting/art)
- 暈眩 (yūn xuàn) = vertigo
- 暈死了 (yūn sǐ le) = extremely dizzy (colloquial exaggeration)
The character can refer to physical sensations of dizziness, optical phenomena like halos around celestial bodies, or the blurring of colors or edges in art.
症
(zhèng) = Symptom / Condition / Syndrome
This character typically appears in medical contexts to describe various symptoms, conditions, or syndromes.
Examples:
- 症狀 (zhèng zhuàng) = symptoms
- 病症 (bìng zhèng) = illness/symptoms
- 症候 (zhèng hòu) = clinical manifestation/syndrome
- 過敏症 (guò mǐn zhèng) = allergic reaction/allergy
- 憂鬱症 (yōu yù zhèng) = depression
- 自閉症 (zì bì zhèng) = autism
- 恐慌症 (kǒng huāng zhèng) = panic disorder
- 失眠症 (shī mián zhèng) = insomnia
- 焦慮症 (jiāo lǜ zhèng) = anxiety disorder
- 強迫症 (qiáng pò zhèng) = obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
This character is frequently used in compound words describing medical conditions or psychological disorders, particularly in formal or clinical contexts.
覺得 / 感覺
覺得 (jué de) / 感覺 (gǎn jué) = To feel / To sense / To perceive
These two terms have similar meanings but can be used in slightly different contexts:
覺得 (jué de) - Often used for opinions or thoughts:
- 我覺得這個電影很好看 (wǒ jué de zhè gè diàn yǐng hěn hǎo kàn) = I think this movie is good
- 你覺得呢？ (nǐ jué de ne) = What do you think?
- 他覺得很累 (tā jué de hěn lèi) = He feels tired
- 我覺得你說得對 (wǒ jué de nǐ shuō de duì) = I think what you said is right
- 覺得不舒服 (jué de bù shū fu) = Feel uncomfortable
感覺 (gǎn jué) - Can refer to physical sensations or intuitions:
- 我感覺到疼痛 (wǒ gǎn jué dào téng tòng) = I feel pain
- 有一種奇怪的感覺 (yǒu yī zhǒng qí guài de gǎn jué) = Have a strange feeling
- 他的感覺很敏銳 (tā de gǎn jué hěn mǐn ruì) = His senses are very acute
- 第六感覺 (dì liù gǎn jué) = Sixth sense
- 感覺良好 (gǎn jué liáng hǎo) = Feeling good
While there is considerable overlap, 覺得 tends to be more about subjective opinions, while 感覺 can refer to both physical sensations and intuitive perceptions.
時差
(shí chā) = Time difference / Jet lag
This term breaks down as:
- 時 (shí) = time
- 差 (chā) = difference/gap
Examples:
- 台灣和美國有十二小時的時差 (tái wān hé měi guó yǒu shí èr xiǎo shí de shí chā) = There is a twelve-hour time difference between Taiwan and the United States
- 我還在調整時差 (wǒ hái zài tiáo zhěng shí chā) = I’m still adjusting to the jet lag
- 時差反應 (shí chā fǎn yìng) = Jet lag symptoms
- 倫敦和北京的時差是八小時 (lún dūn hé běi jīng de shí chā shì bā xiǎo shí) = The time difference between London and Beijing is eight hours
- 因為時差，我晚上睡不著 (yīn wèi shí chā, wǒ wǎn shàng shuì bù zháo) = Because of jet lag, I can’t sleep at night
This term refers both to the actual difference in time between different geographical locations and to the physical condition (jet lag) that results from traveling across multiple time zones.
保重
(bǎo zhòng) = Take care / Look after yourself
This phrase is used as a caring expression when saying goodbye or expressing concern for someone’s wellbeing.
Examples:
- 請保重身體 (qǐng bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = Please take care of your health
- 你要保重啊 (nǐ yào bǎo zhòng a) = Take care of yourself
- 天氣冷，保重 (tiān qì lěng, bǎo zhòng) = It’s cold, take care
- 別太勞累，保重 (bié tài láo lèi, bǎo zhòng) = Don’t overwork yourself, take care
- 身體不好要保重 (shēn tǐ bù hǎo yào bǎo zhòng) = If you’re not feeling well, take care of yourself
- 我會保重的，你也是 (wǒ huì bǎo zhòng de, nǐ yě shì) = I will take care, and you too
This expression shows genuine concern for someone’s health and wellbeing and is commonly used when parting ways, especially when someone is ill or going through a difficult time.
保重身體
(bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = Take care of your health / Look after your body
This phrase breaks down as:
- 保重 (bǎo zhòng) = take care
- 身體 (shēn tǐ) = body/health
Examples:
- 請您保重身體 (qǐng nín bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = Please take care of your health
- 工作忙，要保重身體 (gōng zuò máng, yào bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = You’re busy with work, take care of your health
- 天冷了，保重身體 (tiān lěng le, bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = It’s getting cold, take care of your health
- 旅途辛苦，保重身體 (lǚ tú xīn kǔ, bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = The journey is tiring, take care of yourself
- 最重要的是保重身體 (zuì zhòng yào de shì bǎo zhòng shēn tǐ) = The most important thing is to take care of your health
This expression is commonly used when saying goodbye to someone, especially to elderly people or those who are not in good health. It shows concern and care for the other person’s wellbeing.
