Staying healthy and fit is a priority for many people, and knowing Chinese characters related to health, exercise, and wellness is very useful for expats living in China.
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This blog-post introduces 12 essential Chinese characters that you will encounter in gyms, pharmacies, and daily life. Each character comes with example sentences in Chinese, pinyin, and English, so you can learn to use them naturally in conversation.
Character 1: 身体 (shēn tǐ) – Body / Health
身体 (shēn tǐ) is one of the most important words for discussing wellness.
Example Sentences:
我的身体很好 (wǒ de shēn tǐ hěn hǎo) – My health is very good.
运动对身体有好处 (yùn dòng duì shēn tǐ yǒu hǎo chù) – Exercise is good for your body.
Character 2: 健康 (jiàn kāng) – Health / Healthy
健康 (jiàn kāng) refers to overall physical and mental well-being.
Example Sentences:
保持健康很重要 (bǎo chí jiàn kāng hěn zhòng yào) – Maintaining health is very important.
他每天跑步来保持健康 (tā měi tiān pǎo bù lái bǎo chí jiàn kāng) – He runs every day to stay healthy.
Character 3: 运动 (yùn dòng) – Exercise / Sports
运动 (yùn dòng) covers all forms of physical activity.
Example Sentences:
我喜欢运动 (wǒ xǐ huān yùn dòng) – I like exercising.
运动能让你更快乐 (yùn dòng néng ràng nǐ gèng kuài lè) – Exercise can make you happier.
Character 4: 跑步 (pǎo bù) – Running / Jogging
跑步 (pǎo bù) is a simple but common exercise activity.
Example Sentences:
每天早上我去公园跑步 (měi tiān zǎo shàng wǒ qù gōng yuán pǎo bù) – I go running in the park every morning.
跑步对身体很好 (pǎo bù duì shēn tǐ hěn hǎo) – Running is good for the body.
Character 5: 饮食 (yǐn shí) – Diet / Eating Habits
饮食 (yǐn shí) is used to talk about nutrition and food choices.
Example Sentences:
健康的饮食很重要 (jiàn kāng de yǐn shí hěn zhòng yào) – A healthy diet is very important.
他注意自己的饮食 (tā zhù yì zì jǐ de yǐn shí) – He pays attention to his eating habits.
Character 6: 水 (shuǐ) – Water
水 (shuǐ) is essential for hydration during exercise and daily life.
Example Sentences:
运动后要多喝水 (yùn dòng hòu yào duō hē shuǐ) – Drink plenty of water after exercising.
我每天喝八杯水 (wǒ měi tiān hē bā bēi shuǐ) – I drink eight glasses of water every day.
Character 7: 休息 (xiū xī) – Rest / Take a Break
休息 (xiū xī) is important for recovery after exercise.
Example Sentences:
工作累了，要休息一下 (gōng zuò lèi le, yào xiū xī yí xià) – When you’re tired from work, take a break.
运动后要充分休息 (yùn dòng hòu yào chōng fèn xiū xī) – You need full rest after exercising.
Character 8: 医院 (yī yuàn) – Hospital / Clinic
医院 (yī yuàn) is essential for medical care.
Example Sentences:
我去医院看医生 (wǒ qù yī yuàn kàn yī shēng) – I go to the hospital to see a doctor.
医院离这里很近 (yī yuàn lí zhè lǐ hěn jìn) – The hospital is very close to here.
Character 9: 药 (yào) – Medicine / Drug
药 (yào) is important when talking about treatments or prescriptions.
Example Sentences:
医生给我开了药 (yī shēng gěi wǒ kāi le yào) – The doctor prescribed me medicine.
这个药对感冒有效 (zhè gè yào duì gǎn mào yǒu xiào) – This medicine works for colds.
Character 10: 心 (xīn) – Heart / Mind
心 (xīn) is used for physical and emotional health.
Example Sentences:
运动对心脏好 (yùn dòng duì xīn zàng hǎo) – Exercise is good for the heart.
保持好心情很重要 (bǎo chí hǎo xīn qíng hěn zhòng yào) – Keeping a good mood is very important.
Character 11: 力量 (lì liàng) – Strength / Power
力量 (lì liàng) is often used in fitness and weight training contexts.
Example Sentences:
我每天锻炼增加力量 (wǒ měi tiān duàn liàn zēng jiā lì liàng) – I exercise every day to increase strength.
他有很大的力量 (tā yǒu hěn dà de lì liàng) – He has a lot of strength.
Character 12: 瑜伽 (yú jiā) – Yoga
瑜伽 (yú jiā) is popular for flexibility, balance, and relaxation.
Example Sentences:
我每天早上练瑜伽 (wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng liàn yú jiā) – I practice yoga every morning.
瑜伽可以帮助放松身体 (yú jiā kě yǐ bāng zhù fàng sōng shēn tǐ) – Yoga can help relax the body.
Vocabulary
- 身体 (shēn tǐ) – Body / Health
- 健康 (jiàn kāng) – Health / Healthy
- 运动 (yùn dòng) – Exercise / Sports
- 跑步 (pǎo bù) – Running / Jogging
- 饮食 (yǐn shí) – Diet / Eating Habits
- 水 (shuǐ) – Water
- 休息 (xiū xī) – Rest / Take a Break
- 医院 (yī yuàn) – Hospital / Clinic
- 药 (yào) – Medicine / Drug
- 心 (xīn) – Heart / Mind
These 12 characters give you a solid foundation for talking about health, wellness, and fitness in Chinese. By practicing these words in sentences and real-life contexts, you’ll become more confident discussing your health, giving advice, and understanding instructions at gyms or clinics.
