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How to Learn Basic English (Chinese Edition) | Lesson No.019 | Health and the Body | 身体与健康

Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0019 · Lesson No.019 · 零基础英语第十九课 · Pre-A1 → A1

Health and the Body | 身体与健康

My head hurts. I have a cough. I feel dizzy. I need to see a doctor.
我头痛。我咳嗽。我觉得头晕。我需要看医生。

This lesson teaches language for describing the body and asking for help. It does not diagnose illness and does not replace medical care.

这一课只教“怎样用英语说明身体状况和求助”。它不负责诊断疾病，也不能代替医生、药剂师或急救服务。

Chinese Edition Hub · 中文版入口 · ← Lesson No.018 · Transport and Travel

The health-language map | 健康表达路线

  • head, face, eyes, ears, nose, mouth
  • neck, shoulders, arms, hands
  • chest, back, stomach, legs, feet
  • hurt / pain / ache
  • I feel…
  • I have…
  • It hurts here.
  • headache, cough, sore throat, fever as common vocabulary
  • dizzy, tired, sick/nauseous as recognition vocabulary
  • how long / when did it start as recognition language
  • clinic, doctor, nurse, pharmacy, pharmacist
  • appointment
  • medicine / medication
  • allergy communication
  • urgent-help phrases
  • privacy and accurate communication
  • Mandarin 疼 / 不舒服 / 有…… vs English symptom structures

1. Head | 头

  • My head hurts.
  • I have a headache.

These are two common ways to describe head pain.

2. Face | 脸

  • My face hurts here.
  • I have pain in my face. — recognition language

3. Eyes | 眼睛

  • My eyes hurt.
  • My eye is red.
  • I can’t see clearly. — important communication phrase

If vision changes suddenly or seriously in real life, language practice is not enough; seek appropriate medical care.

4. Ears | 耳朵

  • My ear hurts.
  • I can’t hear well.
  • I have pain in my left ear.

5. Nose | 鼻子

  • My nose is blocked.
  • My nose is running. — common phrase

6. Mouth and throat | 嘴和喉咙

  • My mouth is dry.
  • My throat hurts.
  • I have a sore throat.

7. Neck | 脖子

  • My neck hurts.
  • My neck is stiff. — recognition language

8. Shoulder | 肩膀

  • My shoulder hurts.
  • Both shoulders hurt.

9. Arm and hand | 手臂和手

  • My arm hurts.
  • My hand hurts.
  • I hurt my hand. — past/action preview

10. Chest | 胸部

  • My chest hurts.
  • I have chest pain.

Chest pain can be important. This course only teaches the phrase. In real life, urgent or severe symptoms require prompt professional medical assessment.

11. Back | 背部

  • My back hurts.
  • I have back pain.

12. Stomach | 胃 / 肚子

  • My stomach hurts.
  • I have a stomach ache.

In everyday English, stomach is often used loosely for the abdominal area.

13. Leg and foot | 腿和脚

  • My leg hurts.
  • My foot hurts.
  • My feet hurt.

One foot → two feet.

14. Hurt | 疼

  • My head hurts.
  • My knees hurt.
  • It hurts here.

hurt can be a verb. Singular body part often takes hurts; plural often takes hurt.

15. Pain | 疼痛

  • I have pain here.
  • I have pain in my back.
  • The pain is strong. — simple wording

pain is a noun.

16. Ache | 持续疼痛

  • headache
  • stomach ache
  • backache
  • toothache

Spelling may vary between closed and open compounds in some words.

17. Where does it hurt? | 哪里疼？

  • Where does it hurt?
  • It hurts here.
  • My lower back hurts.

Pointing can support the language when exact vocabulary is missing.

18. Left / right | 左 / 右

  • my left arm
  • my right knee
  • the left side
  • the right side

Side matters when describing location.

19. I feel… | 我感觉……

  • I feel tired.
  • I feel dizzy.
  • I feel weak.
  • I feel sick.

feel + adjective describes your state.

20. Tired | 累

  • I feel tired.
  • I’m very tired today.

Tiredness has many possible causes. The phrase describes the feeling, not the cause.

21. Dizzy | 头晕

  • I feel dizzy.
  • I became dizzy when I stood up. — recognition language

22. Sick / nauseous | 恶心 / 不舒服

I feel sick can mean nauseous in British English and can more broadly mean ill in some varieties. nauseous is more specific but less beginner-friendly.

  • I feel sick.
  • I feel nauseous. — recognition language

23. I have… | 我有……症状

  • I have a cough.
  • I have a sore throat.
  • I have a headache.
  • I have a fever.

English often uses have with symptom nouns.

24. Cough | 咳嗽

  • I have a cough.
  • I’m coughing a lot. — recognition language

25. Sore throat | 喉咙痛

  • I have a sore throat.
  • My throat hurts.

26. Fever | 发烧

  • I have a fever.
  • My temperature is high. — simple recognition language

A measured temperature is more specific than simply saying “I feel hot”.

27. Cold | 感冒

a cold means the common illness; cold without an article can describe low temperature.

  • I have a cold.
  • It is cold outside.

28. Allergy | 过敏

  • I have an allergy.
  • I’m allergic to peanuts.
  • I’m allergic to this medicine.

Allergy information should be communicated clearly and accurately.

29. Medicine / medication | 药物

  • medicine
  • medication
  • prescription medicine — recognition
  • over-the-counter medicine — recognition

This lesson teaches vocabulary only. Ask a qualified clinician or pharmacist about what medicine is appropriate for an actual condition.

30. Pharmacy | 药房

  • Where is the pharmacy?
  • Is there a pharmacy near here?
  • Can I speak to the pharmacist?

31. Pharmacist | 药剂师

  • pharmacist
  • Can I ask the pharmacist a question?

Professional titles and scopes vary by country.

32. Clinic | 诊所

  • clinic
  • medical clinic
  • Where is the nearest clinic?

33. Doctor | 医生

  • I need to see a doctor.
  • Can I see a doctor today?

34. Nurse | 护士

  • nurse
  • The nurse will ask some questions. — recognition language

35. Appointment | 预约

  • I have an appointment at three.
  • I’d like to make an appointment.
  • Can I change my appointment?

36. When did it start? | 什么时候开始？

This uses past-time grammar, but it is a very common health question worth recognising.

  • When did it start?
  • This morning.
  • Yesterday.
  • Two days ago.

37. How long? | 多久？

  • How long have you felt like this? — advanced recognition
  • How long has it hurt? — advanced recognition
  • For two days. — answer chunk

At beginner level, focus on recognising the time question and giving a clear duration.

38. How bad is the pain? | 有多痛？

  • mild
  • moderate
  • severe

These are useful recognition words. Some clinicians may use a number scale, but the exact method varies.

39. Pain scale | 疼痛数字

  • It’s about three out of ten.
  • It’s about eight out of ten.

If asked, give the best honest description you can. Do not invent precision you do not feel.

40. Better / worse | 好一点 / 更严重

  • It’s better today.
  • It’s worse today.
  • The pain is getting worse. — recognition language

41. Same | 一样

  • It’s about the same.
  • I feel the same as yesterday.

42. Can you help me? | 求助

  • Can you help me?
  • I don’t feel well.
  • I need medical help.

Simple language is valuable when you are unwell.

43. I don’t feel well | 我不舒服

This is a broad phrase when you cannot yet name the symptom.

  • I don’t feel well.
  • I feel very unwell. — recognition language

44. Urgent-help language | 紧急求助表达

  • I need help now.
  • Please call for medical help.
  • I can’t breathe properly.
  • My friend is unconscious. — recognition language
  • There has been an accident. — recognition language

These phrases are for communication only. In a real emergency, contact the local emergency service or follow instructions from qualified responders.

45. Breathing | 呼吸

  • I am having trouble breathing. — recognition phrase
  • I can’t breathe properly.

Difficulty breathing can be serious. Seek urgent medical help in real life.

46. Injury | 受伤

  • I hurt my ankle.
  • I cut my hand.
  • I fell down. — past-time chunk

These describe what happened. They do not diagnose the injury.

47. Bleeding | 出血

  • It’s bleeding.
  • My hand is bleeding.

For significant bleeding or serious injury, seek appropriate urgent care.

48. Privacy | 隐私

Health information is personal. In language practice, use fictional symptoms. Learners do not need to disclose real diagnoses, medication lists or private medical histories.

49. Accurate communication | 准确比难词重要

Simple, accurate English is better than difficult, uncertain English.

  • It hurts here.
  • It started this morning.
  • I am allergic to peanuts.
  • I take this medicine. — only if true

50. Mandarin transfer: 疼 | hurt vs have pain

  • 我头疼。 → My head hurts. / I have a headache.
  • 我背疼。 → My back hurts. / I have back pain.

English offers several common structures. Learn the simplest one first.

51. Mandarin transfer: 我不舒服 | I don’t feel well

  • 我不舒服。 → I don’t feel well.

Do not force every 不舒服 into “not comfortable”; comfortable usually describes physical comfort rather than general illness.

52. Mandarin transfer: 我有点头晕 | feel + adjective

  • 我有点头晕。 → I feel a little dizzy.

English uses feel, not “have dizzy”.

53. Mandarin transfer: 发烧 | have a fever

  • 我发烧。 → I have a fever.

Again, English symptom packaging differs from Chinese.

54. Listening: I have / I feel / it hurts | 三个高频框架

  • I have a cough.
  • I feel dizzy.
  • It hurts here.

If you hear the frame, you can predict the type of information that follows.

55. Reading practice A: clinic appointment | 阅读 A

Mei does not feel well. She has a cough and a sore throat. She calls a clinic and makes an appointment for 3:30. At the clinic, she says, “The cough started two days ago. My throat hurts, and I feel very tired.” She also tells the doctor about an allergy before discussing medicine.

  1. What symptoms does Mei have?
  2. What time is the appointment?
  3. When did the cough start?
  4. What important information does she also give?

56. Reading practice B: ankle injury | 阅读 B

David hurts his ankle while walking. He can stand, but walking is painful. He says, “My right ankle hurts here.” He does not guess what the injury is. He asks for medical advice and explains when the pain started.

  1. Which body part hurts?
  2. Which side?
  3. What action is painful?
  4. Does David diagnose himself?

57. Reading practice C: pharmacy communication | 阅读 C

Anna goes to a pharmacy. She says, “I have a sore throat and a cough. I am allergic to one medicine, so I want to speak to the pharmacist before I buy anything.” She gives accurate information and asks questions before making a decision.

  1. Where does Anna go?
  2. What symptoms does she describe?
  3. Why does she want to speak to the pharmacist?
  4. Does she choose medicine by guessing?

58. Writing practice: symptom card | 写症状卡

For a fictional person, write:

  1. main symptom
  2. location
  3. when it started
  4. better/worse/same
  5. one allergy statement or “no known allergy” only if appropriate in a fictional task

59. Speaking practice: clinic role-play | 诊所口语

Staff: How can I help?
Learner: I don’t feel well.
Staff: What is the problem?
Learner: I have a cough and my throat hurts.
Staff: When did it start?
Learner: Yesterday.

60. Speaking practice: point and describe | 指位置

  • It hurts here.
  • My left shoulder hurts.
  • The pain is here, not here.

Pointing plus simple language can reduce ambiguity.

61. Error clinic | 常见错误诊所

Common errorBetter EnglishWhat broke?
I am headache. ✗I have a headache. ✓symptom noun frame
I have dizzy. ✗I feel dizzy. ✓adjective frame
My head pain. ✗My head hurts. ✓verb frame
I am fever. ✗I have a fever. ✓have + noun
I not comfortable. △I don’t feel well. ✓general illness phrase
My foots hurt. ✗My feet hurt. ✓irregular plural

62. First weak link diagnosis | 第一个卡点诊断

  • I know body words but cannot describe symptoms → I have/I feel/hurts frames.
  • I say every symptom with have → noun vs adjective distinction.
  • I can name symptom but not location → left/right/body-part language.
  • I can describe now but not duration → start/how long recognition.
  • I panic and lose grammar → use short accurate phrases.
  • I guess medical causes → separate description from diagnosis.

63. Retrieval lab | 提取练习

  • 我头痛。 → ______
  • 我咳嗽。 → ______
  • 我喉咙痛。 → ______
  • 我觉得头晕。 → ______
  • 我不舒服。 → ______
  • 这里疼。 → ______
  • 我的右腿疼。 → ______
  • 我发烧。 → ______
  • 我对花生过敏。 → ______
  • 我需要看医生。 → ______

Suggested answers: I have a headache / My head hurts. / I have a cough. / I have a sore throat / My throat hurts. / I feel dizzy. / I don’t feel well. / It hurts here. / My right leg hurts. / I have a fever. / I’m allergic to peanuts. / I need to see a doctor.

64. Ten-minute daily practice | 每天十分钟

2 minbody parts身体部位
2 minI have症状名词
2 minI feel感觉形容词
2 minhurts + location疼痛位置
2 minone clinic role-play求助口语

65. Seven-day training cycle | 七天训练

Day 1head/face/neck上半部位
Day 2arms/chest/back身体部位
Day 3legs/feet + left/right位置
Day 4I have/I feel/hurts核心框架
Day 5clinic/pharmacy医疗地点
Day 6appointment/allergy/repair重要信息
Day 7one-minute fictional health dialogue综合输出

66. Self-test: 30 questions | 30 题自测

  1. Translate: 头。
  2. Translate: 喉咙。
  3. Translate: 背。
  4. Translate: 胃/肚子。
  5. Translate: 脚。
  6. Translate: 我头痛。
  7. Translate: 我咳嗽。
  8. Translate: 我喉咙痛。
  9. Translate: 我觉得头晕。
  10. Translate: 我很累。
  11. Translate: 我发烧。
  12. Translate: 这里疼。
  13. Ask: 哪里疼？
  14. Translate: 左手。
  15. Translate: 右腿。
  16. Ask for a doctor.
  17. Ask where a pharmacy is.
  18. Say you have an appointment at three.
  19. Translate: 我对花生过敏。
  20. Translate: 我需要帮助。
  21. Correct: I am headache.
  22. Correct: I have dizzy.
  23. Correct: My head pain.
  24. Correct: I am fever.
  25. Correct: My foots hurt.
  26. Explain I have vs I feel.
  27. Explain hurt vs pain.
  28. Give one urgent-help phrase.
  29. Give a four-line clinic dialogue.
  30. Explain why symptom language is not diagnosis.

Answer key | 答案

1 head; 2 throat; 3 back; 4 stomach; 5 foot; 6 I have a headache / My head hurts; 7 I have a cough; 8 I have a sore throat / My throat hurts; 9 I feel dizzy; 10 I feel tired / I’m tired; 11 I have a fever; 12 It hurts here; 13 Where does it hurt?; 14 left hand; 15 right leg; 16 I need to see a doctor; 17 Where is the pharmacy?; 18 I have an appointment at three; 19 I’m allergic to peanuts; 20 I need help; 21 I have a headache; 22 I feel dizzy; 23 My head hurts; 24 I have a fever; 25 My feet hurt; 26 noun symptom vs adjective feeling; 27 verb vs noun; 28–30 answers vary.

67. For parents and teachers | 给家长和老师

Keep all health scenarios fictional unless the learner voluntarily needs language for a real situation. Do not ask children or adults to disclose private diagnoses.

Teach three reliable frames: I have + symptom noun, I feel + adjective, and body part + hurts. These cover a large amount of beginner communication.

Separate language from diagnosis. “I have chest pain” is a communication statement. It does not identify the cause.

For real urgent symptoms, the correct next step is appropriate professional help, not more classroom vocabulary practice.

68. Final real-world challenge | 最终真实任务

  1. Name fifteen body parts.
  2. Use I have with four symptom nouns.
  3. Use I feel with four adjectives.
  4. Use hurts with five body parts.
  5. State left/right location.
  6. Ask where a pharmacy is.
  7. Ask for a doctor.
  8. State an allergy clearly.
  9. Give one urgent-help phrase.
  10. Complete a one-minute fictional clinic conversation.

Next: Lesson No.020 | 下一课

Health, weather and transport all affect what we do next. The next lesson organises future time: tomorrow, later, this weekend, plans, appointments, intentions and simple predictions.

Lesson No.020 · Plans and Future Time · 计划与未来时间

Reference floor: British Council A1 Elementary · British Council A1–A2 Vocabulary · Cambridge Essential Grammar in Use A1–B1.