请问您叫什么名字？
Qingwen nin jiao shenme mingzi?
May I ask your name?
Patient identity and polite opening.
Doctor-patient communication
Doctor-patient Mandarin for clinical conversations
A dialogue-based guide for speaking respectfully and clearly with Mandarin-speaking patients in clinics and hospitals.
Start with rapport and permission
A clear greeting and permission to ask questions or examine the patient makes the conversation more respectful and clinically safer.
Use short turn-by-turn dialogue
Doctor-patient Mandarin is easier when practised as short exchanges: one question, one answer, one follow-up.
Confirm understanding
Before closing, summarise the plan and ask whether the patient understands or has questions.
High-yield phrases
我给您解释一下。
Wo gei nin jieshi yixia.
Let me explain it to you.
Transition into explanation.
您明白了吗？
Nin mingbai le ma?
Do you understand?
Checking understanding.
Example clinical dialogue
doctor
您好，请问您叫什么名字？
Nin hao, qingwen nin jiao shenme mingzi?
Hello, may I ask your name?
patient
我叫王明。
Wo jiao Wang Ming.
My name is Wang Ming.
doctor
王先生，您今天哪里不舒服？
Wang xiansheng, nin jintian nali bu shufu?
Mr Wang, where do you feel unwell today?
patient
我有点头疼。
Wo youdian touteng.
I have a headache.
Common mistakes
- Making the first question too long.
- Using textbook phrases that sound unnatural in clinic.
- Not checking patient understanding after explanations.
FAQ
How do doctors talk to patients in Mandarin?
Use respectful 您, short questions, clear signposting, and patient-friendly vocabulary.
What is a good first Mandarin question for patients?
您哪里不舒服？ is a useful opening question for many encounters.
Can I practise Mandarin dialogues by scenario?
Yes. ClinicalMandarin includes scenario pages for history taking, ward rounds, emergency care, diagnosis, and consent.