Making a Clinic Appointment When You Feel Unwell | Learn Chinese in English

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Use Making a Clinic Appointment When You Feel Unwell to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

我咳嗽，今天觉得很累。

wǒ késou, jīntiān juéde hěn lèi I have a cough and feel tired today.

你应该打电话给诊所，预约看医生。

nǐ yīnggāi dǎ diànhuà gěi zhěnsuǒ, yùyuē kàn yīshēng You should call the clinic and ask for an appointment.

我打电话时应该说什么？

wǒ dǎ diànhuà shí yīnggāi shuō shénme What should I say when I call?

告诉他们你不舒服，想看医生。

gàosu tāmen nǐ bù shūfu, xiǎng kàn yīshēng Tell them you feel unwell and would like to see a doctor.

我还想问什么时候有空。

wǒ hái xiǎng wèn shénme shíhou yǒu kòng I also want to ask what times are available.

这样他们就能帮你找到合适的预约时间。

zhèyàng tāmen jiù néng bāng nǐ zhǎodào héshì de yùyuē shíjiān That will help them find an appointment that works for you.

我现在就给诊所打电话。

wǒ xiànzài jiù gěi zhěnsuǒ dǎ diànhuà I will call the clinic now.

把你的症状写下来，这样你就能说清楚。

bǎ nǐ de zhèngzhuàng xiě xiàlái, zhèyàng nǐ jiù néng shuō qīngchu Write your symptoms down so you can explain them clearly.

Word by Word

我 “我” means “I” or “me”; here it refers to the person who feels unwell and will make the call. It is used as the subject in “我咳嗽” and “我打电话时应该说什么”. A common reuse pattern is 我 + action or feeling.

咳嗽 “咳嗽” means “to cough” or “a cough”; here it describes the speaker’s symptom in “我咳嗽”. It can be used after a person to state a symptom, as in the dialogue pattern 我 + 咳嗽. This is useful when describing your condition to a clinic or another person.

今天 “今天” means “today”; here it specifies when the speaker feels tired in “今天觉得很累”. It comes before the action or feeling it describes. Use it to give the day connected with an event, symptom, or plan.

觉得 “觉得” means “feel” here, introducing the speaker’s personal experience in “觉得很累”. It is followed by the feeling or description being experienced. It can be reused before a description of how someone feels.

很 “很” strengthens the description in “很累”, meaning that the speaker feels tired to a considerable degree. It commonly comes before a descriptive word in this kind of sentence. Here it helps connect 觉得 with the degree of tiredness.

累 “累” means “tired”; in “觉得很累”, it describes the speaker’s condition today. It follows 很 to form the description 很累. Use it when telling someone that you need rest or do not feel energetic.

你 “你” means “you”; here it refers to the person being advised to call the clinic in “你应该打电话给诊所”. It is the subject of the advice. A common reuse pattern is 你 + 应该 + action.

应该 “应该” means “should” and gives advice in “你应该打电话给诊所”. It comes before the recommended action. Use it when suggesting what another person ought to do in a situation.

打电话 “打电话” means “call by phone”; here it means calling the clinic in “打电话给诊所”. The whole expression describes making a phone call: 打 contributes the action of making the call and 电话 refers to the phone call. A common pattern is 打电话给 + recipient.

给 “给” marks the recipient or destination of the phone call in “打电话给诊所”. Here the call is directed to the clinic. It can be reused in the pattern 打电话给 + person or place.

诊所 “诊所” means “clinic”; here it is the place being called in “打电话给诊所”. It follows 给 to show the destination of the call. Use it when referring to a clinic in a medical appointment context.

预约 “预约” means “make an appointment”; here it refers to arranging a time to see a doctor in “预约看医生”. It is followed by the activity being arranged. Use it when arranging a scheduled medical visit or another planned service.

看 “看” means “see” or “visit” in “看医生”; here it refers to visiting a doctor for medical care. The expression 看医生 is used for going to see a doctor, not simply looking at one. Use it with a medical professional when discussing a consultation.

医生 “医生” means “doctor”; here it is the medical professional the speaker wants to see in “看医生”. It follows 看 in the expression for visiting a doctor. Use it when arranging or discussing medical care.

时 “时” means “when” or “at the time when” in “我打电话时应该说什么”. It connects the phone call with the time of speaking. A common reuse pattern is an action or event + 时 + another action or situation.

说 “说” means “say” in “应该说什么”; here it refers to the words the speaker should use during the call. It can be followed by the content being said, as in 说什么. Use it when asking or explaining what someone should say.

什么 “什么” means “what”; here it asks which words the speaker should use in “应该说什么”. It appears after 说 as the content being asked about. A common reuse pattern is verb + 什么 when asking what action or content is involved.

告诉 “告诉” means “tell”; here it introduces the information the speaker should give the clinic in “告诉他们你不舒服”. It is followed by the person receiving the information and then the information itself. A common pattern is 告诉 + person + information.

他们 “他们” means “them” here; it refers to the clinic staff in “告诉他们你不舒服”. It is the recipient of the information after 告诉. Use it when referring to more than one person who receives or handles information.

不 “不” is the negation word in “不舒服”, making the following description negative. Together, 不舒服 means that someone does not feel well or feels unwell. It commonly comes before the word or description being negated.

舒服 “舒服” means “comfortable” or “well”; in “不舒服”, it describes the speaker’s physical condition as unwell. The meaning here comes from the whole expression 不舒服, with 不 making it negative. Use 不舒服 to tell a clinic or another person that you do not feel well.

想 “想” means “want to” or “would like to” in “想看医生”. It introduces the action the speaker wishes to take. A common reuse pattern is 想 + action, such as wanting to arrange or ask for something.

还 “还” means “also” or “in addition” in “我还想问什么时候有空”. It adds another request to what the speaker has already said. It commonly comes before the additional action or intention.

问 “问” means “ask”; here it introduces the question about available times in “想问什么时候有空”. It is followed by the information being requested. Use it when asking a person or organization for information.

什么时候 “什么时候” means “when”; here it asks which times are available in “问什么时候有空”. It identifies the time information being requested. A common pattern is verb + 什么时候 when asking when an event or opportunity is available.

有 “有” means “have” or “be available” in “什么时候有空”. Here it describes whether there is a free time. It can be used before a person, thing, or time that is available.

空 “空” means “free” or “available” in “有空”. Here it refers to a time when the clinic or doctor is not already occupied. The common expression 有空 means that someone or some time is available.

这样 “这样” means “this way” or “in this manner”; here it refers to asking about available times in “这样他们就能帮你找到合适的预约时间”. It presents the previous action as the way to achieve the result that follows. Use it to connect a described method with its consequence.

就 “就” marks the resulting or consequential action in “他们就能帮你找到合适的预约时间”. Here it shows that, by doing this, they can then help find a suitable time. It commonly appears after a condition or method and before the resulting action.

能 “能” means “can” or “be able to” in “就能帮你找到合适的预约时间”. It expresses the ability to provide the help after the previous step. It comes before the action that is possible.

帮 “帮” means “help”; here it describes the clinic staff helping the speaker find a suitable appointment time in “帮你找到”. It is followed by the person receiving help and the action being helped with. A common pattern is 帮 + person + action.

找到 “找到” means “find” with the result of locating something; here it refers to locating a suitable appointment time in “找到合适的预约时间”. It is followed by the thing being located. Use it when an object, person, or suitable option has been located.

合适 “合适” means “suitable” or “appropriate”; here it describes an appointment time that works for the speaker in “合适的预约时间”. It comes before 的预约时间 as a description. Use it when selecting an option that fits a person’s needs or situation.

的 “的” links the description “合适” to the noun phrase “预约时间” in “合适的预约时间”. It shows that the appointment time is being described as suitable. A common pattern is description + 的 + noun.

时间 “时间” means “time”; here it refers to the time of the appointment in “预约时间”. It is modified by 合适的 to mean a suitable appointment time. Use it when discussing when an appointment or activity can take place.

现在 “现在” means “now”; here it shows that the speaker will call immediately in “我现在就给诊所打电话”. It comes before the action being done at this moment. Use it to state when an action is happening or will happen immediately.

把 “把” marks the object being acted on in “把你的症状写下来”. It places 你的症状 before the action and focuses on what will be done to it. A common pattern is 把 + object + action + result or direction.

症状 “症状” means “symptoms”; here it refers to the signs of illness that the speaker should write down in “你的症状”. It is the object of 写下来 after 把. Use it when listing or explaining health problems to a medical professional.

写 “写” means “write”; here it introduces the action of recording the symptoms in “写下来”. It is followed by 下来 to show the result of writing them down. Use it when recording information so it can be remembered or explained later.

下来 “下来” completes “写下来”, meaning to write something down and record it. Here it shows the result of the writing action applied to the symptoms. A common reuse pattern is verb + 下来 when an action leaves information or an item recorded.

清楚 “清楚” means “clearly” in “说清楚”; here it describes explaining the symptoms in a way that the listener can understand. Together, 说清楚 means to make what is said clear. It is useful when giving information that another person needs to understand accurately.

Grammar Points

动词 + 下来

写下来

xiě xiàlái

to write down

下来 after 写 shows that information is recorded in written form.

动词 + 清楚

说清楚

shuō qīngchu

to explain clearly

清楚 after 说 shows the result: the meaning becomes clear.

Chinese Vocabulary

不舒服 adj

bù shūfu to feel unwell; uncomfortable

打电话 verb

dǎ diànhuà to make a phone call

告诉 verb

gàosu to tell

咳嗽 verb

késou to cough

还 adv

hái also; additionally

觉得 verb

juéde to feel; to think

看医生 phrase

kàn yīshēng to see a doctor

累 adj

lèi tired

什么时候 pron

shénme shíhou when

有空 phrase

yǒu kòng to be available; to have free time

预约看医生 phrase

yùyuē kàn yīshēng to make an appointment to see a doctor

诊所 noun

zhěnsuǒ clinic

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to make an appointment to see a doctor

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预约看医生

when

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什么时候

to see a doctor

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看医生

clinic

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诊所