Here are common instructions you might hear from a doctor or nurse in a hospital:

1. Taking Medicine

Chinese: 这是药，一天吃三次。
Pinyin: Zhè shì yào, yī tiān chī sān cì.
English: This is medicine, take it three times a day.

2. Resting

Chinese: 多休息，不要去学校。
Pinyin: Duō xiūxi, bù yào qù xuéxiào.
English: Rest more, do not go to school.

3. Drinking Water

Chinese: 多喝水。
Pinyin: Duō hē shuǐ.
English: Drink more water.

4. Getting an Injection

Chinese: 来，打针，不要怕。
Pinyin: Lái, dǎ zhēn, bù yào pà.
English: Come, get an injection, don't be afraid.

5. Blood Test

Chinese: 请去验血。
Pinyin: Qǐng qù yàn xiě.
English: Please go for a blood test.

When you hear an instruction in Chinese, follow these steps:

1. Listen carefully – Pay full attention to what the doctor or nurse says.
2. Identify key words – Look for words you know like 药 (yào - medicine), 吃 (chī - eat), 喝 (hē - drink), or 休息 (xiūxi - rest).
3. Understand the action – Know what you need to do (take medicine, rest, drink water, etc.).
4. Follow the instruction – Do what you are told to do.

A nurse at the hospital says to you:

Chinese: 你的感冒了，明天来打针。今天多喝水，休息。
Pinyin: Nǐ de gǎnmò le, míngtiān lái dǎ zhēn. Jīntiān duō hē shuǐ, xiūxi.
English: You have a cold. Come tomorrow for an injection. Today, drink more water and rest.

What should you do?

• Tomorrow: go to the hospital for an injection (打针)
• Today: drink more water (多喝水) and rest (休息)

In Tanzania, if you visit a Chinese-run medical camp or clinic in your area (for example, at Mwalimu Nyerere Campus in Dar es Salaam or during a health outreach program), the doctors may give instructions in Chinese. Knowing these phrases helps you understand what medicine to take, when to return for a follow-up visit, or how to care for yourself at home — just like Tanzanian students learned in the example above when the nurse explained about drinking water and resting after a cold.