At a Chinese pharmacy: asking for medicine in Chinese
Stomach trouble and headaches are the two things that actually derail a trip, and both start at a pharmacy (药店) — the shops with the green cross sign that sit every few blocks in any Chinese city, many open late and some around the clock.
The conversation is short and predictable: what hurts, since when, and whether you are allergic to anything. The pharmacist will pick something and explain how to take it — often only in Chinese, so have your phone's camera ready to translate the box.
5 steps · 5 phrases · tap any phrase to hear it
Listen to all 5
Hands-free playback — good for a taxi, a queue, or the plane.
Back-to-back Chinese — good once the phrases are familiar.
- 1
Open with what's wrong
You may hear
哪里不舒服？
Nǎlǐ bù shūfu?
What's bothering you?
This is the question behind the counter, and 生病了 (I'm sick) is the honest, all-purpose answer that starts it. You don't need to diagnose yourself in Chinese — the follow-up questions will walk you there.
- 2
Find the pharmacy first
You may hear
前面路口有一家。
Qiánmiàn lùkǒu yǒu yì jiā.
There's one at the intersection ahead.
Look for the green cross and the word 药店 — chain drugstores are everywhere and many keep long hours; 24小时 on the sign means round the clock. Hotel staff will point you to the nearest one if the street sign isn't obvious.
- 3
Say where it hurts
You may hear
拉肚子吗？
Lā dùzi ma?
Do you have diarrhea?
肚子疼 (belly hurts) is what the pharmacist needs to hear, and the follow-up questions are exactly this direct — travelers find it startling the first time. Answer honestly; embarrassment costs you the right medicine.
- 4
Mention allergies before they ask
You may hear
对什么过敏？
Duì shénme guòmǐn?
What are you allergic to?
They ask this for almost everything, and the answer matters more than the symptom. If it's a food rather than a drug, 我对花生过敏 (I'm allergic to peanuts) is the sentence to have ready — peanut oil turns up in unexpected places.
- 5
When the pharmacy isn't enough
You may hear
前面医院，挂号在一楼。
Qiánmiàn yīyuàn, guàhào zài yīlóu.
There's a hospital ahead; registration is on the first floor.
Pharmacists redirect people the moment a symptom sounds serious, so take that advice. At a hospital you register first (挂号) and then see a doctor — big hospitals have an international desk, and your hotel front desk can call one for you.
Also worth having ready
Not part of the flow, but the ones people wish they'd practised before this situation.
Common questions
- Can I buy medicine over the counter in China?
- Yes — most common remedies for stomach trouble, colds and pain are sold at pharmacies without a prescription. Describe the symptom (我肚子疼 works for the first one), let the pharmacist pick, and keep the box: it tells a doctor exactly what you took if the problem doesn't settle.
- How do I find a pharmacy in China?
- Look for the green cross sign with 药店 on it, or ask 这附近有药店吗 (is there a pharmacy nearby?). Chain drugstores are dense in any city, many open past ten at night, and some run 24 hours — the staff are used to customers pointing at what hurts.
- When should I go to a hospital instead of a pharmacy?
- For anything beyond a familiar minor complaint — high fever, an injury, breathing trouble — go to a hospital (医院) or call 120 for an ambulance. Pharmacists redirect people themselves when a symptom sounds serious, and hotel desks can help you find a doctor who speaks English.
Every phrase used here, in full
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