您有呼吸困难吗？
Nín yǒu hūxī kùnnán ma?
Do you have difficulty breathing?
Screening question.
Symptom phrase pages
Shortness of breath in Mandarin: 呼吸困难
呼吸困难 is the clinical Mandarin phrase for difficulty breathing or dyspnoea.
Meaning
呼吸困难 means difficulty breathing. Patients may also say 喘不过气, meaning they cannot catch their breath.
Clinical note
Ask whether breathlessness occurs at rest, on exertion, lying flat, or at night.
High-yield phrases
走路时会喘吗？
Zǒulù shí huì chuǎn ma?
Do you get breathless when walking?
Exertional dyspnoea.
平躺时会加重吗？
Píngtǎng shí huì jiāzhòng ma?
Is it worse when lying flat?
Orthopnoea.
Example clinical dialogue
doctor
您有呼吸困难吗？
Nín yǒu hūxī kùnnán ma?
Do you have difficulty breathing?
patient
走路时很喘。
Zǒulù shí hěn chuǎn.
I get very breathless when walking.
Common mistakes
- Do not use 呼吸困难 for mild tiredness; ask follow-up questions to clarify.
FAQ
What is dyspnoea in Mandarin?
呼吸困难, pronounced hūxī kùnnán.
What do patients say casually?
喘不过气 is a common patient-style phrase.