zhèngzhuàng: 症状 - Symptom, Sign

• Keywords: 症状, zhengzhuang, Chinese for symptom, describe symptoms in Chinese, doctor's appointment in Chinese, what are your symptoms in Chinese, medical Chinese, HSK vocabulary, feeling sick in Chinese, Chinese medicine.
• Summary: “症状” (zhèngzhuàng) is the essential Chinese word for “symptom” or “sign” of an illness. Learning this HSK 4 term is crucial for anyone needing to describe their health condition in China, whether at a doctor's appointment or simply explaining to a friend why they feel unwell. This page breaks down what 症状 means, how to describe your symptoms in Chinese, and its cultural context, including its use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

• Pinyin (with tone marks): zhèngzhuàng
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: 4
• Concise Definition: An observable sign or subjective experience indicating a disease or physical disorder.
• In a Nutshell: “症状” is the direct and standard word for “symptom.” Think of it as the key that unlocks any conversation about health. When a doctor asks, “What's wrong?” they are asking for your 症状. It covers everything from a fever and cough to more complex feelings of discomfort.

• 症 (zhèng): This character is all about illness. The outer radical “疒” (nè) is known as the “sickness radical” and is present in many characters related to disease and ailments. The inner part, 正 (zhèng), means “proper” or “upright” and primarily provides the phonetic sound for the character. You can think of it as “a sign (正) of sickness (疒).”
• 状 (zhuàng): This character means “form,” “shape,” or “condition.” It describes the state or appearance of something.
• How they combine: Together, 症 (illness) + 状 (condition) literally form the meaning “the condition of an illness.” This is a perfect and logical construction for the word “symptom.”

In China, describing your 症状 can sometimes involve concepts unfamiliar to the West, largely due to the influence of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). While a Westerner might describe symptoms in purely biomechanical terms (e.g., “I have a headache”), a Chinese person might also use TCM concepts. For example, a collection of 症状 like a sore throat, acne, and a dry mouth might be described as 上火 (shànghuǒ), meaning “heatiness” or “internal heat.” This is considered a valid description of a bodily state with its own set of corresponding 症状. This contrasts with the Western approach, where each symptom is typically seen as a separate issue to be addressed unless linked to a specific, named virus or bacteria. Therefore, when discussing 症状 in China, it's helpful to be aware that the framework for what constitutes a “symptom” can be broader, incorporating concepts of balance, “qi” (气), heat, and dampness within the body.

症状 is a neutral, standard term used in both formal and informal contexts.

• At the Doctor's Office: This is the most common and critical use case. A doctor will almost always start by asking, “你有什么症状?” (Nǐ yǒu shé me zhèngzhuàng? - “What are your symptoms?”). You will then list your issues using this framework.
• Everyday Conversation: People use it casually when discussing their health. For example, “我感冒的症状就是流鼻涕和咳嗽。” (Wǒ gǎnmào de zhèngzhuàng jiùshì liú bítì hé késou. - “My cold symptoms are a runny nose and a cough.”)
• Metaphorical Use: While less common for beginners, 症状 can be used figuratively to describe signs of a larger problem in a system, such as a company or society. For instance, “High employee turnover is a symptom of poor management.” (高员工流失率是管理不善的症状。- Gāo yuángōng liúshī lǜ shì guǎnlǐ bùshàn de zhèngzhuàng.)

• Example 1:
  • 医生：你有什么症状？
  • Pinyin: Yīshēng: Nǐ yǒu shé me zhèngzhuàng?
  • English: Doctor: What are your symptoms?
  • Analysis: This is the single most important phrase to know for any medical visit in China. It's a standard and direct question.
• Example 2:
  • 我的主要症状是头痛、发烧和喉咙痛。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de zhǔyào zhèngzhuàng shì tóutòng, fāshāo hé hóulóng tòng.
  • English: My main symptoms are headache, fever, and a sore throat.
  • Analysis: A perfect model sentence for responding to the doctor's question. “主要” (zhǔyào) means “main” or “primary.”
• Example 3:
  • 你的症状持续多久了？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ de zhèngzhuàng chíxù duōjiǔ le?
  • English: How long have your symptoms lasted?
  • Analysis: “持续” (chíxù) means “to continue” or “to last.” This is another common question a doctor will ask.
• Example 4:
  • 我的症状很轻微，应该不用吃药。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de zhèngzhuàng hěn qīngwēi, yīnggāi bùyòng chī yào.
  • English: My symptoms are very mild, I probably don't need to take medicine.
  • Analysis: “轻微” (qīngwēi) is a great vocabulary word for “mild” or “slight,” used to downplay the severity of the symptoms.
• Example 5:
  • 如果你有任何类似流感的症状，请马上告诉我。
  • Pinyin: Rúguǒ nǐ yǒu rènhé lèisì liúgǎn de zhèngzhuàng, qǐng mǎshàng gàosù wǒ.
  • English: If you have any flu-like symptoms, please tell me immediately.
  • Analysis: “类似” (lèisì) means “similar to.” This structure is useful for comparing symptoms to a known illness.
• Example 6:
  • 吃药以后，我的症状缓解了很多。
  • Pinyin: Chī yào yǐhòu, wǒ de zhèngzhuàng huǎnjiě le hěnduō.
  • English: After taking the medicine, my symptoms have eased a lot.
  • Analysis: “缓解” (huǎnjiě) means “to alleviate” or “to ease,” a key term for describing recovery.
• Example 7:
  • 他看起来很健康，没有任何生病的症状。
  • Pinyin: Tā kàn qǐlái hěn jiànkāng, méiyǒu rènhé shēngbìng de zhèngzhuàng.
  • English: He looks very healthy and has no symptoms of being sick.
  • Analysis: This shows how to use the term in the negative to state the absence of symptoms.
• Example 8:
  • 腹泻是食物中毒的典型症状之一。
  • Pinyin: Fùxiè shì shíwù zhòngdú de diǎnxíng zhèngzhuàng zhī yī.
  • English: Diarrhea is one of the typical symptoms of food poisoning.
  • Analysis: “典型” (diǎnxíng) means “typical,” and the structure “…之一” (…zhī yī) means “one of…” This is a more formal and descriptive sentence structure.
• Example 9:
  • 除了发烧，你还有别的症状吗？
  • Pinyin: Chúle fāshāo, nǐ hái yǒu biéde zhèngzhuàng ma?
  • English: Besides the fever, do you have any other symptoms?
  • Analysis: “除了…” (chúle…) means “besides” or “except for.” This is useful for adding more information.
• Example 10:
  • 这种病的早期症状不明显。
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhǒng bìng de zǎoqí zhèngzhuàng bù míngxiǎn.
  • English: The early symptoms of this disease are not obvious.
  • Analysis: “早期” (zǎoqí) means “early stage” and “明显” (míngxiǎn) means “obvious.” This describes symptoms that are hard to detect.

• 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) vs. 病 (bìng): This is the most critical distinction for learners.
  • 症状 (zhèngzhuàng) is the *symptom* (the evidence).
  • 病 (bìng) is the *illness* or *disease* (the cause).
  • A cough (咳嗽) is a 症状. A cold (感冒) is a 病. The cough is a symptom *of* the cold.
  • Common Mistake: Saying “我有一个头痛的症状” (Wǒ yǒu yīgè tóutòng de zhèngzhuàng). This is redundant, like saying “I have a symptom of a headache.”
  • Correct: “我的症状是头痛” (My symptom is a headache) OR, more naturally, “我头痛” (I have a headache).
• “Having” a Symptom: In English, we “have” symptoms. In Chinese, you can also use 有 (yǒu), but it's often more natural to state the symptom directly as a verb or adjective.
  • Okay: 我有发烧的症状。 (Wǒ yǒu fāshāo de zhèngzhuàng.) - I have a symptom of fever.
  • Better: 我发烧了。 (Wǒ fāshāo le.) - I have a fever.
  • Best (at the doctor's): 我的症状是发烧。 (Wǒ de zhèngzhuàng shì fāshāo.) - My symptom is a fever.

• `病 (bìng)` - Illness, disease. The underlying condition that causes the 症状.
• `诊断 (zhěnduàn)` - Diagnosis. The doctor's identification of the 病 based on the 症状.
• `治疗 (zhìliáo)` - Treatment. The medical care given to cure the 病 and relieve the 症状.
• `病人 (bìngrén)` - Patient. The person experiencing the 病 and its 症状.
• `医生 (yīshēng)` - Doctor. The professional who analyzes the 症状.
• `发烧 (fāshāo)` - Fever. A very common 症状.
• `咳嗽 (késou)` - To cough; a cough. A very common 症状.
• `头痛 (tóutòng)` - Headache. A very common 症状.
• `感觉 (gǎnjué)` - To feel; a feeling. A broader term. You “feel” (感觉) a 症状.
• `上火 (shànghuǒ)` - “Internal heat.” A core TCM concept used to describe a cluster of 症状 like sore throat, canker sores, and acne.