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The body is one of the first fields of vocabulary you learn in a language, and Chinese has a good surprise in store: almost everything is compound. 头发 is literally the “hairs 发 of the head 头”; 手指 , the “finger of the hand” ⟶ the finger, next to 脚趾 , the finger of the foot ⟶ the toe. Once the mechanism has been spotted, a good half of the list almost learns itself.
That said, do not trust the resemblance with English. 心 is not only the organ: it is also the seat of thought and of mood, hence 心情 , literally “the feeling of the heart” ⟶ mood. And 面子 , “face”, has nothing anatomical left about it (it is nevertheless the most fragile part of the body in all of China).
One uncertainty I would rather point out to you: 血 is read in the spoken language and in learned compounds, such as 血管 . I have never found a rule that really settles every case. The recordings follow ordinary usage.
Click on any character on the page: its stroke order is shown stroke by stroke, with the arrow that gives the direction of the movement.
Gestures and postures now have their own page; the five senses will have theirs.
How to use this page: every word carries its level. ① the essentials, ② the common, ③ the precise. Start with the ①: they are already enough to describe a pain at the doctor's. The ▶ button gives the pronunciation, and a click on a character opens its stroke order.
The body in general
body
figure, build
skin
flesh
bone
blood
heart (also the mind)
body hair
sweat
The head and the face
head
top of the head
hair
face
complexion, look
forehead
eyebrow
eyes
eyelid
eyelashes
tears
nose
nostril
ear
mouth
lips
teeth
tongue
chin
cheek
dimple
beard, moustache
wrinkle
mole
neck
throat
brain
temple
The trunk
shoulder
chest
back
waist, lower back
belly
abdomen
navel
buttocks
rib
spine
The limbs
hand
palm
back of the hand
fist
finger
thumb
index finger
middle finger
ring finger
little finger
nail
wrist
arm
elbow
leg
thigh
knee
calf
foot
sole of the foot
ankle
toe
heel
Inside the body
heart (the organ)
lung
stomach
liver
kidney
intestine
blood vessel
pulse
nerve
muscle
joint
internal organs
organ
cell
What the body does
to breathe
heartbeat
to sweat
to bleed
to hurt
to itch
tired
to cough
to sneeze
to yawn
to laugh
to cry
Measuring yourself
height
weight
The body in four-character expressions
to be in a flap, to lose one's head
red with embarrassment or anger
to aim high and achieve little
to be everywhere at once
to be dumbfounded
to say one thing and think another
to hit the nail on the head
to speak clearly and methodically
to be itching to start
to beam with delight
The body in everyday words
mood
to care about
to be reassured
to be careful
to be good at
face, prestige
taste, preferences
handmade
an eye for something, discernment
earphones
Example sentences
My head really hurts today.
She has big, bright eyes.
His hair is very short.
The child has small hands.
My foot hurts a little, I cannot walk fast.
It is far too hot, I have been sweating a lot.
He goes running every day, he is in great shape.
Careful! There is water on the floor.
Do not worry, I will take good care of him.
You do not look well, are you tired?
The doctor is listening to my heartbeat.
He has caught a cold and keeps coughing.
Do not be tense, take a deep breath.
My shoulders are aching, could you rub them a little?
He is very tall, and his legs are long too.
This dish is exactly to my taste.
He is very good at cooking Chinese food.
The Chinese set great store by face.
He had his earphones on and did not hear me call him.
He has sprained his ankle and cannot walk any more.
The nurse took his pulse.
Just out of bed in the morning, he keeps yawning.
When he heard the news, he was dumbfounded.
When she speaks, she always hits the nail on the head.
A dozen guests arrived all at once, and the host was run off his feet.
