Note: The spoken Chinese Mandarin language has 4 spoken tones. We have attempted to re-create those below where after each syllable we tell you (1), (2), (3), or (4) as they correspond to each of the 4 tones. We encourage you to complement your Xianzai.com Emergency Chinese newsletter with a good offline study program.

Describing Your Illness to a Doctor

Dialogue A: At the Doctor's

Doctor: yi(1) sheng(1)

Tim: ti(4) mu(3)

Doc: Please tell me your symptoms.

• qing(3) gao(4) su(4) wo(3) ni(3) de(1) zheng(4) zhuang(4).

Tim: I have been vomiting, and I have a fever.

• wo(3) yi(4) zhi(2) zai(4) ou(3) tu(4),er(2) qie(3), wo(3) fa(1) shao(1) le(1).

Doc: Does this hurt?

• zhe(4) er(2) tong(4) ma?

Tim: No, that doesn't hurt.

• bu(4) na(4) er bu(2) tong(4).

Doc: Is there pain here?

• zhe(4) er teng(2) ma?

Tim: Yes, that hurts, please stop.

• shi(4) de zhe(4) er teng(2), qing(4) ting(2) zhu(4).

Doc: You have a fever.

• ni(3) fa(1) shao(1) le.

Tim: I must stay at the hospital.

• wo(3) de(3) dai(1) zai(4) yi(1) yuan(4).