The Industrial Accident

About

You wouldn't believe the number of times we've heard these complaints from newcomers. "I was just

passing through Yangshuo," the victim usually starts, staring forlornly at the massive cast encasing their

lower torso. "Who'd have thought there would be a freak industrial accident within minutes of my arrival?" And to be fair, for travellers with limited experience in southern China, the scenario does sound

seductively implausible.

Statistics do not lie though, and they tell us that you'll need this podcast sooner rather than later. Which

is why we're happy to offer this safety-first lesson in Chinese that will teach you how to identify wounded

limbs to would-be rescuers. Leaving aside any discussion of China's industrial safety record, we think

you'll find this useful language even if you're never caught in a collapsing steel mill or exploding chemical plant. Because at the very least, learning to say what hurts and where it hurts will save you from

embarrassing pantomime the next time you need to see a doctor in China.

Sentences

哦,我的胳膊。

ò , wǒ de gēbo 。

Oh, my arm.

你的胳膊怎么了?

nǐ de gēbo zěnme le ?

What's wrong with your arm?

折了。

shé le 。

It's broken.

我们去医院吧。

wǒmen qù yīyuàn ba 。

Lets go to the hospital.

Vocabulary

我的

wǒ de

my

pronoun

你的

nǐ de

your

pronoun

胳膊

gēbo

arm

noun

腿

tuǐ

leg

noun

肚子

dùzi

stomach

noun

头

tóu

head

noun

怎么了

zěnme le

what's wrong

phrase

医院

yīyuàn

hospital

noun

去

qù

to go to

verb

疼

téng

to hurt

verb

折

shé

to break

verb