How to register at a Chinese hospital (挂号)

Chinese hospitals start with 挂号 (guàhào) — registering for a numbered ticket to see a doctor. No appointment culture, just queues. Here's how to get in the right one.

What you'll say

Tap play to hear it. Everything on this page runs in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Heads-up: the voice you hear here is your browser’s built-in Mandarin — the app sounds considerably better. On iPhone it uses Apple’s enhanced and premium system voices, plays at real conversational speed, and has a slow mode for practising.

This device has no Chinese voice installed, so audio can’t play here. The app doesn’t have that problem — it uses the Mandarin voices built into iOS.

我要挂号。

Wǒ yào guàhào.

I'd like to register (to see a doctor).

挂号 is the magic word. Registration desk is usually 挂号处.

我要看内科。

Wǒ yào kàn nèikē.

I need the internal medicine department.

Not sure which department? 内科 (internal medicine) is the general-purpose starting point.

有会说英语的医生吗？

Yǒu huì shuō Yīngyǔ de yīshēng ma?

Is there a doctor who speaks English?

Big-city hospitals often have an international clinic (国际部) — pricier, English-speaking.

1 more phrase in this situation — plus the real-speed audio for all 4, the listening drill, and the camera. Six situations are free in the app; this one is part of Pro.

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What they'll say back

This is the part nobody teaches. Real Mandarin comes back fast and blunt, so hear it at natural speed first.

Press play before you read. In the app, anything you miss comes back slower and then again later, until you catch it at full speed.

They say

带身份证或者护照了吗？

Dài shēnfènzhèng huòzhě hùzhào le ma?

Did you bring your ID card or passport?

You can answer

带了，这是我的护照。

Dài le, zhè shì wǒ de hùzhào.

Yes, here's my passport.

They say

去三楼，等叫号。

Qù sān lóu, děng jiàohào.

Go to the third floor and wait for your number to be called.

You can answer

好的，谢谢。

Hǎo de, xièxie.

OK, thank you.

Other situations in Health

At the pharmacy Describing symptoms to a doctor