Taking care of your health is important no matter where you live, and learning how to talk about it in Chinese can make daily life much smoother.
Whether you’re going to the gym, visiting a doctor, or simply trying to live a healthier lifestyle, these words will help you communicate clearly and confidently.
In this post, you’ll learn 12 essential Chinese words related to health and fitness through a short story, along with practical example sentences you can use right away.
A Short Story: Staying Healthy in China
小张 (Xiǎo Zhāng) 刚搬到中国工作。他发现保持健康很重要，所以他开始每天锻炼身体。早上，他去公园跑步，晚上去健身房运动。有一天，他感觉有点不舒服，就去医院看医生。医生建议他多休息，多喝水。从那以后，小张更加注意自己的健康。
Xiǎo Zhāng just moved to China for work. He realized that staying healthy is important, so he started exercising every day. In the morning, he goes running in the park, and in the evening, he goes to the gym. One day, he felt a bit unwell and went to the hospital to see a doctor. The doctor advised him to rest more and drink more water. From then on, he paid more attention to his health.
Word 1–6: Basic Health Vocabulary
These words are essential for talking about your physical condition and daily habits.
健康 (jiàn kāng) – health
健康很重要。
Jiànkāng hěn zhòngyào.
Health is very important.
锻炼 (duàn liàn) – to exercise
我每天锻炼身体。
Wǒ měitiān duànliàn shēntǐ.
I exercise every day.
身体 (shēn tǐ) – body
你要注意身体。
Nǐ yào zhùyì shēntǐ.
You should take care of your body.
跑步 (pǎo bù) – to run
他喜欢早上跑步。
Tā xǐhuān zǎoshang pǎobù.
He likes running in the morning.
运动 (yùn dòng) – exercise, sports
运动对身体很好。
Yùndòng duì shēntǐ hěn hǎo.
Exercise is good for the body.
健身房 (jiàn shēn fáng) – gym
我晚上去健身房。
Wǒ wǎnshang qù jiànshēnfáng.
I go to the gym in the evening.
Word 7–12: Medical and Wellness Words
These words help you describe how you feel and seek help when needed.
不舒服 (bù shū fu) – uncomfortable, unwell
我今天有点不舒服。
Wǒ jīntiān yǒudiǎn bù shūfu.
I feel a little unwell today.
医院 (yī yuàn) – hospital
他去医院看病。
Tā qù yīyuàn kàn bìng.
He goes to the hospital to see a doctor.
医生 (yī shēng) – doctor
医生很专业。
Yīshēng hěn zhuānyè.
The doctor is very professional.
休息 (xiū xí) – to rest
你需要多休息。
Nǐ xūyào duō xiūxí.
You need more rest.
喝水 (hē shuǐ) – to drink water
记得多喝水。
Jìde duō hē shuǐ.
Remember to drink more water.
注意 (zhù yì) – to pay attention
请注意健康。
Qǐng zhùyì jiànkāng.
Please pay attention to your health.
Using Health Words in Real Life
When you combine words like Health (健康, jiàn kāng) and Exercise (锻炼, duàn liàn), you can easily talk about your fitness routine. For example, saying “我每天锻炼身体” helps you describe a healthy habit clearly and naturally.
Similarly, combining Hospital (医院, yī yuàn) and Doctor (医生, yī shēng) allows you to handle real-life situations such as seeking medical help. These combinations are especially useful for expats adjusting to life in China.
More Example Sentences for Practice
我每天去健身房运动。
Wǒ měitiān qù jiànshēnfáng yùndòng.
I go to the gym to exercise every day.
他感觉不舒服，所以去医院。
Tā gǎnjué bù shūfu, suǒyǐ qù yīyuàn.
He felt unwell, so he went to the hospital.
医生建议我多休息。
Yīshēng jiànyì wǒ duō xiūxí.
The doctor advised me to rest more.
跑步对健康很好。
Pǎobù duì jiànkāng hěn hǎo.
Running is very good for health.
我每天喝很多水。
Wǒ měitiān hē hěn duō shuǐ.
I drink a lot of water every day.
Practice: Talk About Your Health Routine
Try describing your daily habits using these words. For example, you can talk about going to the Gym (健身房, jiàn shēn fáng) or running in the Park (公园, gōng yuán).
Start with simple sentences like “我每天运动” (I exercise every day), then add more details such as time, place, and feelings. This helps you build confidence while making your sentences more natural and expressive.
Useful Sentence Patterns for Health Conversations
Here are some patterns you can use immediately.
我每天 + 动作
我每天跑步。
I run every day.
感觉 + 状态
我感觉不舒服。
I feel unwell.
需要 + 动作
我需要休息。
I need to rest.
对 + 名词 + 很好
运动对身体很好。
Exercise is good for the body.
These patterns make it easier to express yourself clearly in real-life situations.
Vocabulary
- 健康 (jiàn kāng)- health
- 锻炼 (duàn liàn)- to exercise
- 身体 (shēn tǐ)- body
- 跑步 (pǎo bù)- to run
- 运动 (yùn dòng)- exercise
- 健身房 (jiàn shēn fáng)- gym
- 不舒服 (bù shū fu)- unwell
- 医院 (yī yuàn)- hospital
- 医生 (yī shēng)- doctor
- 休息 (xiū xí)- to rest
