Health & Hospital

1. 我身軀無爽快，需要看醫生。

   Guá sin-khu bô sóng-khuài, su-iàu khuànn i-sing.

   I don't feel well, I need to see a doctor.

   Usage

   Used to express feeling unwell and needing medical attention

   Grammar Note

   "Sin-khu" is the Taiwanese word for body, and an adjective such as sóng-khuài is negated with "bô" (無), not Mandarin "bù" (不)

2. 醫院佇佗位？

   I-īnn tī tó-uī?

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   Used to ask for the location of a hospital

   Grammar Note

   i-īnn (醫院) is the Taiwanese pronunciation, corresponding to Mandarin yīyuàn

3. 我頭殼咧疼。

   Guá thâu-khak leh thiànn.

   I have a headache.

   Usage

   Used to report a headache

   Grammar Note

   leh (咧) is a Taiwanese aspect marker indicating an ongoing state

4. 我對這款藥仔過敏。

   Guá tuì tsit-khuán io̍h-á kuè-bín.

   I am allergic to this type of medicine.

   Usage

   Used to inform a doctor or pharmacist about a drug allergy

   Grammar Note

   tuì (對) is a preposition meaning "toward" or "regarding"

5. 這个藥愛按怎食？

   Tsit-ê io̍h ài án-tsuánn tsia̍h?

   How do I take this medicine?

   Usage

   Used to ask how to take a medication

   Grammar Note

   In Taiwanese, medicine is "eaten" using tsia̍h (食), the same verb as for food

6. 我腹肚真疼。

   Guá pak-tóo tsin thiànn.

   My stomach hurts a lot.

   Usage

   Used to report stomach pain

   Grammar Note

   pak-tóo (腹肚) is the native Taiwanese word for "stomach," corresponding to Mandarin dùzi

7. 請共我叫救護車。

   Tshiánn kā guá kiò kiù-hōo-tshia.

   Please call an ambulance for me.

   Usage

   Used in an emergency to request an ambulance

   Grammar Note

   tshiánn (請) is a polite imperative marker meaning "please". "Kā guá" (共我) means "for me" and corresponds to Mandarin "幫我"

8. 我發燒，體溫幾度？

   Guá huat-sio, thé-un kuí-tōo?

   I have a fever. What is my temperature?

   Usage

   Used to report a fever and ask about body temperature

   Grammar Note

   huat-sio (發燒) uses the same characters as Mandarin fāshāo but different pronunciation

9. 藥仔無夠，請予我補開。

   Io̍h-á bô-kàu, tshiánn hōo guá póo-khui.

   I don't have enough medicine. Please give me a refill prescription.

   Usage

   Used to request a refill prescription from a doctor

   Grammar Note

   bô-kàu (無夠) is a Taiwanese expression for "not enough" or "insufficient"

10. 健保卡佇遮。

    Kiān-pó-khah tī tsia.

    Here is my National Health Insurance card.

    Usage

    Used when presenting the National Health Insurance card at a medical facility in Taiwan

    Grammar Note

    Taiwan's National Health Insurance is internationally recognized; foreigners may use it under certain conditions

11. 我有身矣

    Guá ū-sin--ah

    I am pregnant

    Usage

    Critical before any medication or X-ray; show it before an examination

12. 我有氣喘

    Guá ū khì-tshuán

    I have asthma

    Usage

    Tell staff about your condition when you have trouble breathing

13. 我有糖尿病

    Guá ū thn̂g-jiō-pēnn

    I have diabetes

    Usage

    Use to explain dietary limits or a hypoglycaemic episode

14. 我有心臟病

    Guá ū sim-tsōng-pēnn

    I have a heart condition

    Usage

    Tell responders about your condition in an emergency

15. 我有高血壓

    Guá ū ko-hueh-ap

    I have high blood pressure

    Usage

    Tell staff about your condition before medication is prescribed

16. 骨折

    Kut-tsiat

    Bone fracture

    Usage

    Show at a hospital straight after an injury

17. 我喘袂過氣

    Guá tshuán bē kuè-khuì

    I have trouble breathing

    Usage

    Point at it when speaking is too hard

18. 我頭眩

    Guá thâu-hîn

    I feel dizzy

    Usage

    Point at it when you cannot stay on your feet

19. 流血

    Lâu-hueh

    I am bleeding

    Usage

    Use when asking for first aid

20. 燒傷

    Sio-siong

    Burn

    Usage

    Use when asking for first aid for a burn

21. 傷口

    Siong-kháu

    Wound / Cut

    Usage

    Show the card while pointing at the wound

22. 咳嗽

    Ka-sàu

    Cough

    Usage

    Use at a pharmacy when asking for cough medicine

23. 癢

    Tsiūnn

    Itchy

    Usage

    Report itching from bites or a rash

24. 月經

    Gue̍h-king

    Menstruation / Period

    Usage

    Use when buying sanitary products or explaining abdominal pain

25. 保險

    Pó-hiám

    Insurance

    Usage

    Point at it at a hospital reception when asking about coverage

26. 血型

    Hueh-hîng

    Blood type

    Usage

    The blood group defined by red-cell antigens, asked before a transfusion or surgery; also read "huih-hîng" in the south

27. 入院

    Ji̍p-īnn

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    Going into hospital for treatment because of illness; "tuà-īnn" means the same

28. 畏寒

    Uì-kuânn

    Chills

    Usage

    Feeling cold because of illness, and shivering with it; use it to report the symptom at a clinic

29. 感冒

    Kám-mōo

    Common cold

    Usage

    A viral upper-airway infection with inflamed airways, coughing, a blocked nose and fever; "kuânn--tio̍h" means the same

30. 請共我叫醫生

    Tshiánn kā guá kiò i-sing

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Ask people nearby to fetch a doctor when someone is taken ill

    Grammar Note

    Same "請共我叫…" frame as "請共我叫救護車。" (please call an ambulance), with "醫生" as what is summoned; "醫生" is read i-sing.

31. 我身軀無力

    Guá sin-khu bô-la̍t

    My body feels sluggish

    Usage

    Tell a doctor that you have no strength, from fever or exhaustion

    Grammar Note

    Same "我身軀無…" frame as "我身軀無爽快，需要看醫生。" (I am unwell and need to see a doctor), with "力" filled in; the colloquial reading "la̍t" means "strength, energy".

32. 我需要歇睏無？

    Guá su-iàu hioh-khùn bô?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Ask the doctor after an examination whether you need to rest

    Grammar Note

    The "我需要…" frame of "我需要一間有無障礙設備的房間." filled with "歇睏" (hioh-khùn, to rest), closed with the yes-no particle "無". The same word appears in the example "我真忝矣，咱歇睏一下。".

33. 落屎

    Làu-sái

    Diarrhea

    Usage

    Show it to a doctor or pharmacist as the name of the symptom. It means "to have diarrhea". A more literary word is 瀉 (sià)

34. 祕結

    Pì-kiat

    Constipation

    Usage

    Show it to a doctor or pharmacist as the name of the symptom. 祕結 is the name of the condition constipation; its antonym is 落屎

35. 屎

    Sái

    Poop

    Usage

    屎 means feces and is the everyday Taiwanese word. 放屎 (pàng-sái) means to pass stool.

36. 尿

    Jiō

    Pee

    Usage

    Means urine. It can be read jiō or liō. Urinating is 放尿 (pàng-jiō).

37. 我落屎。

    Guá làu-sái.

    I have diarrhea

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or pharmacist about diarrhea. An example of 落屎: 哪會一直落屎 (why do you keep having diarrhea?).

38. 我有祕結。

    Guá ū pì-kiat.

    I'm constipated

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or pharmacist about constipation. It follows the same pattern as "我有糖尿病", with 有 (ū) before the name of the condition

39. 我欲放尿。

    Guá beh pàng-jiō.

    I need to pee

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to pee. 欲 (beh) is an auxiliary meaning "want to" (example: 你欲去無？)

40. 我欲放屎。

    Guá beh pàng-sái.

    I need to poop

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to poop. 放屎 (pàng-sái) is the ordinary expression meaning "to pass stool"

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