Dermatology Conversation in Mandarin Chinese

At a friend's house party, just as my friend and I were chatting animatedly, a new face that I had never seen before came up next to me.

Said: "Hi! I am OOO's friend. I heard that you are a Chinese teacher? I am looking for one-on-one lessons recently, do you have time?"

Me: "Of course, what do you want to learn?"

New friend: "I've been in Taiwan for half a year and have been learning Chinese for half a year, but I can't go to the bank or see a doctor by myself. If I'm lucky, I might meet Taiwanese people who are good at English or are eager to help, but every time I feel a little anxious in front of the bank or the clinic, can you help me?"

In fact, this is not the first time I hear that beginners want to learn Chinese about banks, hospitals or clinics.

If it is a group class, it is difficult for the teacher to design such content for beginners. First, these usages may be too difficult for beginners. Second, not every student in the class is eager to learn the content, third, there are many special words in banks and hospitals that are not commonly used in daily life. If we learn "special usage" when you first learn Chinese, it may not be the most efficient.

Anyway, I have been collecting and making related teaching materials since then.

Maybe we can't express ourselves 100% in banks, hospitals or clinics, but what we need is to prepare in advance for possible situations we may encounter.

Maybe We will be less anxious and more confident in front of bank, hospital or clinics.

The weather in Taiwan has been extremely hot this year. Maybe it’s because I’ve been working on balcony for too long, and my skin has been affected by the heat. I have to go back to the dermatology clinic many times. I also took this opportunity to record the conversations at the dermatology clinic. Hope this may help a little bit.

Scenario 1: Walk into the clinic and prepare to register

櫃檯小姐：「你好，有預約嗎？」

Guì tái xiǎo jiě: "Nǐ hǎo, yǒu yù yuē ma?"

Receptionist: "Hello, do you have an appointment?"

我：「有」

Wǒ: "Yǒu"

Me: "Yes."

櫃檯小姐：「健保卡借我一下。」

Guì tái xiǎo jiě: "Jiàn bǎo kǎ jiè wǒ yí xià."

Receptionist: "Please give me your health insurance card."

我：「好（把健保卡拿給護士小姐）。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo (bǎ jiàn bǎo kǎ ná gěi hù shì xiǎo jiě)."

Me: "Okay (hands the health insurance card to the receptionist)."

櫃台小姐：「65號，旁邊坐一下。」

Guì tái xiǎo jiě: "Liù shí wǔ hào, páng biān zuò yí xià."

Receptionist: "Number 65, please take a seat over there."

我：「好（走到旁邊坐下)。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo (zǒu dào páng biān zuò xià)."

Me: "Okay (walks over and sits down)." The stage of preparing for registration is relatively simple, but one thing to note is that sometimes the registration fee will be charged at this time. The current registration fee is about NT.200-300, and each clinic is different.

Summary of things to prepare when registering: health insurance card, money Scenario 2: Entering the consultation room and waiting for the doctor’s diagnosis

診療室護士（把門打開）：「65號，吳ＯＯ小姐。」

Zhěn liáo shì hù shì (bǎ mén dǎ kāi): "Liù shí wǔ hào, Wú [name] xiǎo jiě."

Nurse in the examination room (opens the door): "Number 65, Miss Wu [name]." 我（起身往診療室走）（走進診療室）：「你好。」

Wǒ (qǐ shēn wǎng zhěn liáo shì zǒu) (zǒu jìn zhěn liáo shì): "Nǐ hǎo."

Me (stands up and walks towards the examination room) (enters the examination room): "Hello." 護士：「東西可以放旁邊椅子上。」

Hù shì: "Dōng xi kě yǐ fàng páng biān yǐ zi shàng."

Nurse: "You can put your things on the chair beside you."

我：「好，謝謝。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo, xiè xie."

Me: "Okay, thank you."

醫生：「吳小姐今天怎麼了？」

Yī shēng: "Wú xiǎo jiě jīn tiān zěn me le?"

Doctor: "Miss Wu, what brings you in today?"

我：「從上禮拜開始，臉頰兩邊開始紅、癢，範圍一直在擴大，本來只有右臉頰一小塊，慢慢變大以後，前天開始，左臉頰也出現紅、癢的狀況，仔細看的話，會發現皮膚表面有點白白的皮屑，摸起來也粗粗的。」

Wǒ: "Cóng shàng lǐ bài kāi shǐ, liǎn jiá liǎng biān kāi shǐ hóng, yǎng, fàn wéi yì zhí zài kuò dà, běn lái zhǐ yǒu yòu liǎn jiá yì xiǎo kuài, màn màn biàn dà yǐ hòu, qián tiān kāi shǐ, zuǒ liǎn jiá yě chū xiàn hóng, yǎng de zhuàng kuàng, zǐ xì kàn de huà, huì fā xiàn pí fū biǎo miàn yǒu diǎn bái bái de pí xiè, mō qǐ lái yě cū cū de."

Me: "Since last week, both sides of my cheeks have started to become red and itchy. The affected area has been expanding. Initially, it was just a small patch on my right cheek, but it gradually grew larger. Then, two days ago, the redness and itching appeared on my left cheek as well. If you look closely, you'll notice some white flakes on the surface of the skin, and it feels rough to the touch." 醫生：「以前有過這種狀況嗎？」

Yī shēng: "Yǐ qián yǒu guò zhè zhǒng zhuàng kuàng ma?"

Doctor: "Have you experienced this condition before?" 我：「沒有，第一次。」

Wǒ: "Méi yǒu, dì yī cì."

Me: "No, it's my first time."

醫生（看向我的臉）：「現在看起來也都是紅紅的（拿類似手電筒的醫療儀器照我的臉。）」

Yī shēng (kàn xiàng wǒ de liǎn): "Xiàn zài kàn qǐ lái yě dōu shì hóng hóng de (ná lèi shì shǒu diàn tǒng de yī liáo yí qì zhào wǒ de liǎn)."

Doctor (looking at my face): "It looks quite red now too (shines a medical instrument similar to a flashlight on my face)." 生：「你說多久了？」

Yī shēng: "Nǐ shuō duō jiǔ le?"

Doctor: "How long has this been going on?"

我：「大概一個禮拜。」

Wǒ: "Dà gài yī gè lǐ bài."

Me: "About a week."

醫生：「這個看起來是酒糟肌，有一種成因是蟎蟲，需要檢查才知道。檢查的方法是像擠痘痘一樣先擠壓紅紅的地方，應該會蠻痛的，然後再看裡面是不是有蟎蟲增生的狀況。我們等一下先做檢查，好嗎？」

Yī shēng: "Zhè ge kàn qǐ lái shì jiǔ zāo jī, yǒu yī zhǒng chéng yīn shì mǎn chóng, xū yào jiǎn chá cái zhī dào. Jiǎn chá de fāng fǎ shì xiàng jǐ dòu dòu yí yàng xiān jǐ yā hóng hóng de dì fāng, yīng gāi huì mán tòng de, rán hòu zài kàn lǐ miàn shì bú shì yǒu mǎn chóng zēng shēng de zhuàng kuàng. Wǒ men děng yi xià xiān zuò jiǎn chá, hǎo ma?"

Doctor: "This looks like rosacea, which can be caused by mites. We need to do a test to confirm. The test involves squeezing the red areas like you would a pimple, which might be quite painful, to see if there's an overgrowth of mites. Let's do the test shortly, okay?"

我：「好，要先檢查才知道接下來要怎麼做嘛？」

Wǒ: "Hǎo, yào xiān jiǎn chá cái zhī dào jiē xià lái yào zěn me zuò ma?"

Me: "Okay, we need to do the test first to know what to do next, right?"

醫生：「對。」

Yī shēng: "Duì."

Doctor: "Yes."

我：「好的。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de."

Me: "Alright."

醫生：「那你先外面稍坐一下。」

Yī shēng: "Nà nǐ xiān wài miàn shāo zuò yī xià."

Doctor: "Then please take a seat outside."

我：「好的，謝謝。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de, xiè xiè."

Me: "Alright, thank you."

Tip: Before entering the consultation room, think about what you want to tell the doctor, where you feel uncomfortable, when you started feeling uncomfortable, what you observed...etc.

Scenario 3: Entering another consulting room, the nurse helps to collect specimens

診察室護士：「吳ＯＯ小姐，請進。」

Zhěn chá shì hù shì: "Wú [name] xiǎo jiě, qǐng jìn."

Nurse in the examination room: "Miss Wu [name], please come in."

我：「你好。」

Wǒ: "Nǐ hǎo."

Me: "Hello."

診察室護士：「以前做過這個檢查嗎？」

Zhěn chá shì hù shì: "Yǐ qián zuò guò zhè ge jiǎn chá ma?"

Nurse in the examination room: "Have you done this test before?"

我：「沒有，第一次。」

Wǒ: "Méi yǒu, dì yī cì."

Me: "No, it's my first time."

診察室護士：「好，你先躺上來，等一下我們會像擠痘痘一樣擠兩邊泛紅的臉頰，會有點痛，擠完以後可能三個小時都會泛紅是正常的。」

Zhěn chá shì hù shì: "Hǎo, nǐ xiān tǎng shàng lái, děng yí xià wǒ men huì xiàng jǐ dòu dòu yí yàng jǐ liǎng biān fàn hóng de liǎn jiá, huì yǒu diǎn tòng, jǐ wán yǐ hòu kě néng sān ge xiǎo shí dōu huì fàn hóng shì zhèng cháng de."

Nurse in the examination room: "Okay, please lie down. We will squeeze the reddened areas on both cheeks like popping a pimple. It might be a bit painful. After the procedure, it’s normal for the redness to last for about three hours." 我：「好的。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de."

Me: "Alright."

診察室護士：「光有點亮，你可以把眼睛閉起來。」

Zhěn chá shì hù shì: "Guāng yǒu diǎn liàng, nǐ kě yǐ bǎ yǎn jīng bì qǐ lái."

Nurse in the examination room: "The light is a bit bright, you can close your eyes."

我：「好的。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de."

Me: "Alright."

診察室護士：「好了，你可以在外面等，醫生等一下會再叫你的名字看結果。」

Zhěn chá shì hù shì: "Hǎo le, nǐ kě yǐ zài wài miàn děng, yī shēng děng yí xià huì zài jiào nǐ de míng zì kàn jié guǒ."

Nurse in the examination room: "All done, you can wait outside. The doctor will call your name again shortly to discuss the results."

Scenario 4: Re-enter the consulting room to see the results

醫生：「等我一下喔（正在用類似顯微鏡的儀器）」

Yī shēng: "Děng wǒ yí xià o (zhèng zài yòng lèi sì xiǎn wéi jìng de yí qì)"

Doctor: "Hold on a moment (using an instrument similar to a microscope)."

我：「好的。」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de."

Me: "Alright."

醫生：「沒找到什麼蟲，那我們可以先用一般的藥試試看，有藥物過敏嗎？」

Yī shēng: "Méi zhǎo dào shén me chóng, nà wǒ men kě yǐ xiān yòng yì bān de yào shì shì kàn, yǒu yào wù guò mǐn ma?"

Doctor: "I didn't find any mites, so we can try a general treatment first. Do you have any drug allergies?" 我：「沒有藥物過敏，醫生請問藥要用多久？我怕以為好了停藥會復發。」

Wǒ: "Méi yǒu yào wù guò mǐn, yī shēng qǐng wèn yào yào yòng duō jiǔ? Wǒ pà yǐ wéi hǎo le tíng yào huì fù fā."

Me: "There is no drug allergy. Doctor, how long should I take the drug? I'm afraid I'll relapse if I stop taking the medicine." 醫生：「一般來說，酒糟肌的治療要兩到三個月，擦的藥你可能要擦到秋天。」

Yī shēng: "Yì bān lái shuō, jiǔ zāo jī de zhì liáo yào liǎng dào sān gè yuè, cā de yào nǐ kě néng yào cā dào qiū tiān."

Doctor: "Generally, treatment for rosacea takes two to three months, and you might need to apply the ointment until autumn."

我：「兩三個月？！好的…。」

Wǒ: "Liǎng sān ge yuè?! Hǎo de…"

Me: "Two to three months?! Alright…"

醫生：「我也會開口服藥給你，先吃一個禮拜，下禮拜我們再回診看看狀況好嗎？」

Yī shēng: "Wǒ yě huì kāi kǒu fú yào gěi nǐ, xiān chī yí ge lǐ bài, xià lǐ bài wǒ men zài huí zhěn kàn kàn zhuàng kuàng hǎo ma?"

Doctor: "I'll also prescribe you some oral medication. Take it for a week, and then let's have a follow-up appointment next week to check on your condition, okay?"

我：「好的。請問我現在保養品有什麼需要注意的嗎？」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de. Qǐng wèn wǒ xiàn zài bǎo yǎng pǐn yǒu shén me xū yào zhù yì de ma?"

Me: "Alright. Is there anything I should be aware of with my current skincare products?" 醫生：「你現在用什麼？」

Yī shēng: "Nǐ xiàn zài yòng shén me?"

Doctor: "What are you using now?"

我：「純露跟乳液。」

Wǒ: "Chún lù gēn rǔ yè."

Me: "Hydrosol and lotion."

醫生：「都是保濕類的，那應該沒問題。另外，你會化妝吧？現在不要用卸妝油喔。」

Yī shēng: "Dōu shì bǎo shī lèi de, nà yīng gāi méi wèn tí. Lìng wài, nǐ huì huà zhuāng ba? Xiàn zài bú yào yòng xiè zhuāng yóu o."

Doctor: "Those are both moisturizing products, so there shouldn't be any problem. Also, you wear makeup, right? Avoid using cleansing oils for now."

我：「那可以擦防曬嗎？」

Wǒ: "Nà kě yǐ cā fáng shài ma?"

Me: "Can I use sunscreen?"

醫生：「沒有顏色的防曬可以。」

Yī shēng: "Méi yǒu yán sè de fáng shài kě yǐ."

Doctor: "You can use colorless sunscreen."

我：「好的，謝謝！」

Wǒ: "Hǎo de, xiè xiè!"

Me: "Alright, thank you!"

Tip: In addition to diseases, you should also think about possible problems in life and ask your doctor about them. While I'm waiting, I usually check the Internet for information and ask the doctor if I have any questions.

Finally, your name will be called at the counter to take the medicine and pay.

It’s a long article, I hope it can be of some help to you, and I wish you a speedy recovery!

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