Body Parts in Chinese: 60+ Names with Pinyin & Audio

Q: How do you say body in Chinese?

Body in Chinese is 身体 (shēntǐ): 身 shēn = body/torso, 体 tǐ = body/form. 身体 also means 'health' in phrases like 身体健康 (shēntǐ jiànkāng, 'good health'), a very common well-wish.

Q: How do you say head, hand, and eyes in Chinese?

Head is 头 (tóu), hand is 手 (shǒu), and eyes are 眼睛 (yǎnjing). Other essentials: face 脸 (liǎn), nose 鼻子 (bízi), mouth 嘴 (zuǐ), ear 耳朵 (ěrduo), foot 脚 (jiǎo), and leg 腿 (tuǐ).

Q: How do you say I have a headache in Chinese?

Say 我头疼 (wǒ tóu téng) or 我头痛 (wǒ tóu tòng) — literally 'I head hurt'. The pattern is 我 + [body part] + 疼/痛, so 我肚子疼 (wǒ dùzi téng) is 'I have a stomachache' and 我牙疼 (wǒ yá téng) is 'I have a toothache'. A doctor may ask 哪里不舒服? (nǎlǐ bù shūfu?, 'where does it hurt?').

Q: How do you say eyes in Chinese?

Eyes are 眼睛 (yǎnjing), with a neutral tone on the second syllable. Be careful not to confuse it with 眼镜 (yǎnjìng, 'glasses'), which sounds almost identical but has a full fourth tone on 镜. One eye is 一只眼睛 (yì zhī yǎnjing).

Q: What measure words are used with body parts in Chinese?

Parts that come in pairs use 双 (shuāng) for the pair and 只 (zhī) for one: 一双手 (a pair of hands), 一只眼睛 (one eye). Teeth and the heart use 颗 (kē): 一颗牙 (one tooth), 一颗心 (one heart). Thin, long parts like fingers and strands of hair use 根 (gēn): 一根手指 (one finger), 一根头发 (one hair).

Quick answer: Body in Chinese is 身体 (shēntǐ). The essentials are 头 (tóu, head), 手 (shǒu, hand), 眼睛 (yǎnjing, eyes), 脚 (jiǎo, foot) and 脸 (liǎn, face). To say something hurts, use [part] + 疼: 我头疼 (wǒ tóu téng, “I have a headache”). Tap to hear each word.

Practise with 24 Body Parts & Face Flashcards — name the pictured part, check its pinyin and meaning, and save difficult words for review.

Jump to a section: Head & Face · Arms, Hands & Torso · Legs & Feet · Inside the Body · At the Doctor · Measure Words

身体 (shēntǐ) — Word by Word

Character	Pinyin	Tone	Meaning
身	shēn	1st (high, flat)	body / torso
体	tǐ	3rd (dip)	body / form
身体	shēntǐ	1 – 3	body / health

Head & Face

Chinese	Pinyin	English
头	tóu	head
头发	tóufa	hair (on the head)
脸	liǎn	face
眼睛	yǎnjing	eyes
眉毛	méimao	eyebrows
鼻子	bízi	nose
嘴	zuǐ	mouth
嘴唇	zuǐchún	lips
耳朵	ěrduo	ears
牙齿	yáchǐ	teeth
舌头	shétou	tongue
下巴	xiàba	chin
脖子	bózi	neck

Arms, Hands & Torso

Chinese	Pinyin	English
肩膀	jiānbǎng	shoulder
胳膊	gēbo	arm
手肘	shǒuzhǒu	elbow
手腕	shǒuwàn	wrist
手	shǒu	hand
手指	shǒuzhǐ	finger
指甲	zhǐjia	fingernail
胸	xiōng	chest
背	bèi	back
肚子	dùzi	belly / stomach
腰	yāo	waist / lower back

Legs & Feet

Chinese	Pinyin	English
腿	tuǐ	leg
大腿	dàtuǐ	thigh
膝盖	xīgài	knee
脚	jiǎo	foot
脚趾	jiǎozhǐ	toe
脚踝	jiǎohuái	ankle
屁股	pìgu	bottom / buttocks

Inside the Body — Organs & Tissue

Chinese	Pinyin	English
大脑	dànǎo	brain
心脏	xīnzàng	heart
肺	fèi	lungs
胃	wèi	stomach (organ)
肝	gān	liver
肾	shèn	kidney
骨头	gǔtou	bone
肌肉	jīròu	muscle
皮肤	pífū	skin
血	xiě	blood

At the Doctor: Saying What Hurts

The key pattern is [body part] + 疼 (téng) or + 痛 (tòng) — both mean “to ache / hurt” and are interchangeable. Put 我 (wǒ, I) in front:

Chinese	Pinyin	English
哪里不舒服？	nǎlǐ bù shūfu?	Where does it hurt? (doctor asks)
我头疼。	wǒ tóu téng.	I have a headache.
我肚子疼。	wǒ dùzi téng.	I have a stomachache.
我嗓子疼。	wǒ sǎngzi téng.	I have a sore throat.
我牙疼。	wǒ yá téng.	I have a toothache.
我感冒了。	wǒ gǎnmào le.	I've caught a cold.

Measure Words for Body Parts

Body parts don't all use the same measure word:

Measure word	Used for	Example	Meaning
双 (shuāng)	Parts that come in a pair	一双手 / 一双眼睛	a pair of hands / eyes
只 (zhī)	One of a pair	一只手 / 一只耳朵	one hand / one ear
颗 (kē)	Small round parts — teeth, heart	一颗牙 / 一颗心	one tooth / one heart
根 (gēn)	Thin, long parts — fingers, hair	一根手指 / 一根头发	one finger / one hair

Study tip: a few of these come in confusable pairs — 眼睛 (yǎnjing, eyes) vs 眼镜 (yǎnjìng, glasses), and the ache verbs 疼 (téng) and 痛 (tòng) mean the same thing. Many parts also stack the root twice: 手 (hand) builds 手指 (finger), 手腕 (wrist), and 手肘 (elbow); 脚 (foot) builds 脚趾 (toe) and 脚踝 (ankle).

Hear every word in the Interactive Pinyin Chart, drill them as flashcards, and build sentences like “my head hurts” in our English to Chinese Translator.

Related guides

Continue with 24 Health, Doctor & Pharmacy picture flashcards: care roles and places, everyday symptom words and first-aid objects, with pinyin and words you can save for review. Vocabulary practice only.

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