Body Parts

1. 身軀

   Sin-khu

   Body

   Usage

   The whole body. Taiwanese prefers 身軀 to 身體 — show it when you cannot localize the pain

2. 頭殼

   Thâu-khak

   Head

   Usage

   The Taiwanese word for head. "Thâu-khak leh thiànn" means "my head hurts"

3. 頭鬃

   Thâu-tsang

   Hair

   Usage

   The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 頭髮. Use it at the barber or salon

4. 面

   Bīn

   Face

   Usage

   Taiwanese uses 面, not Mandarin 臉. "Bīn-tsú" is one's face in the social sense

5. 目睭

   Ba̍k-tsiu

   Eye

   Usage

   The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 眼睛 — for the eye clinic or pharmacy

6. 目眉

   Ba̍k-bâi

   Eyebrow

   Usage

   The eyebrow — for specifying the area at a salon or brow studio

7. 耳仔

   Hīnn-á

   Ear

   Usage

   The ear — point at it when your ears hurt on take-off or landing

8. 鼻仔

   Phīnn-á

   Nose

   Usage

   The nose — point at it at the pharmacy for congestion or a runny nose

9. 喙

   Tshuì

   Mouth

   Usage

   The Taiwanese word for mouth is written 喙; Mandarin uses 嘴.

10. 喙齒

    Tshuì-khí

    Tooth

    Usage

    The tooth — point at the aching one at the dentist while showing this

11. 舌

    Tsi̍h

    Tongue

    Usage

    The tongue — for when a hot málà hotpot has burned it

12. 下頦

    Ē-hâi

    Chin / jaw

    Usage

    The chin and jaw — point at it for jaw pain or after a fall

13. 頷頸

    Ām-kún

    Neck

    Usage

    The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 脖子. It means the outside of the neck — for pain when swallowing, use 嚨喉

14. 嚨喉

    Nâ-âu

    Throat

    Usage

    The inside of the throat. Taiwanese writes the two characters in the reverse order from Mandarin — show it at the pharmacy with a cold

15. 肩胛頭

    King-kah-thâu

    Shoulder

    Usage

    The shoulder — for telling a massage shop where to work

16. 手骨

    Tshiú-kut

    Arm

    Usage

    Taiwanese calls the arm 手骨. Despite the character for bone it means the whole arm — the bone itself is 骨頭

17. 手後曲

    Tshiú-āu-khiau

    Elbow

    Usage

    Literally "the bend behind the arm" — point at it after a scrape or a knock

18. 手

    Tshiú

    Hand

    Usage

    From the wrist down; the whole arm is 手骨. Right is 正手 (tsiànn-tshiú), left is 倒手 (tò-tshiú)

19. 大頭拇

    Tuā-thâu-bú

    Thumb

    Usage

    The thumb — for saying which finger you have hurt

20. 指頭仔

    Tsáinn-thâu-á

    Finger

    Usage

    Fingers in general. A toe is 跤指頭仔 (kha-tsáinn-thâu-á)

21. 指甲

    Tsíng-kah

    Nail

    Usage

    The nail — for a nail salon or a broken nail

22. 胸坎

    Hing-khám

    Chest

    Usage

    The chest. Chest pain or breathlessness is urgent — show this and see a doctor at once

23. 腹肚

    Pak-tóo

    Belly

    Usage

    The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 肚子. The stomach organ is separately 胃 (uī)

24. 尻脊骿

    Kha-tsiah-phiann

    Back

    Usage

    The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 背 — the word you will use most at a massage shop

25. 腰

    Io

    Waist / lower back

    Usage

    The waist. "Io leh thiànn" means "my lower back hurts"

26. 尻川

    Kha-tshng

    Buttocks

    Usage

    The native Taiwanese word, for use in a medical setting. Best avoided in casual conversation

27. 大腿

    Tuā-thuí

    Thigh

    Usage

    The thigh — what aches after long stairways and mountain trails

28. 跤頭趺

    Kha-thâu-u

    Knee

    Usage

    The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 膝蓋. Easy to hurt on the steps at Jiufen or Alishan

29. 跤

    Kha

    Foot / leg

    Usage

    Covers the foot and the whole leg. Add 大腿 when you mean the thigh specifically

30. 跤目

    Kha-ba̍k

    Ankle

    Usage

    Literally "the eye of the foot" — point at it when you have sprained it

31. 皮膚

    Phuê-hu

    Skin

    Usage

    The skin — for sunburn, bites and rashes at a dermatology clinic

32. 骨頭

    Kut-thâu

    Bone

    Usage

    The bone — show it with 骨折 (kut-tsiat, fracture) when asking for an X-ray

33. 血

    Hueh

    Blood

    Usage

    Blood. "Lâu-hueh" means bleeding. Many southern speakers pronounce it "huih"

34. 心臟

    Sim-tsōng

    Heart

    Usage

    The organ. "Sim-tsōng-pēnn" is heart disease — show it when declaring a condition

35. 胃

    Uī

    Stomach

    Usage

    The organ; the belly as a whole is 腹肚. Stomach medicine is 胃藥 (uī-io̍h)

36. 腸仔

    Tn̂g-á

    Intestines

    Usage

    The intestines — for telling a doctor where the trouble is when diarrhoea persists

37. 肺

    Hì

    Lungs

    Usage

    The lungs — show it with 氣喘 (khì-tshuán, asthma) when declaring a condition

38. 肝

    Kuann

    Liver

    Usage

    The liver — a frequent topic in Taiwan around hepatitis testing and vaccination

39. 腰子

    Io-tsí

    Kidney

    Usage

    The native Taiwanese word, not Mandarin 腎臟. The same word covers the pork kidney served at food stalls

Browse all TravelPhrases languages