In this workshop you practice a short, realistic exchange: you need a doctor, you ask whether a hospital is nearby, and you understand a simple reply about where the hospital is. You will hear and repeat recorded lines, choose the right reply, and then recall the exchange with the roles switched. The recordings give you the exact phrases to use, so you can focus on speaking clearly and responding at the right moment.
Say what you need and ask about a hospital
Start with the main request. «我需要看医生。» means that you need to see a doctor. When you say it, keep your voice calm and clear, and make the need easy to hear. If you also want to know whether medical help is close by, use «附近有医院吗？», which asks whether there is a hospital nearby. These two lines work well together: first you state your need, then you ask about a place that can help. Practice each line slowly, then at a natural speed. Notice that «我需要看医生。» is about seeing a doctor, while «附近有医院吗？» is about finding a medical place. Keep the subject of each question the same as the recording: do not change a hospital question into a doctor question or the other way around.
Understand a nearby hospital reply
When you ask whether a hospital is nearby, you may hear «附近有医院，医院在右边。». This reply tells you that there is a hospital nearby, and it also tells you that the hospital is on the right. The first part answers your question about whether a hospital is nearby. The second part gives you a location: the hospital is on the right. This is a location, not an instruction to turn right. Listen for both pieces of information, because the answer to your question and the location come together. If you only catch the first part, you know a hospital is nearby but not where it is. If you only catch the second part, you know a direction but not whether the hospital is close. Practice repeating «附近有医院，医院在右边。» after the recording, then say it once without the audio and check whether you included both the nearby hospital and the right-side location.
Ask to be taken and respond to the offer
If you need someone to go with you, use «请带我去医院。», which asks to be taken to the hospital. In the recorded exchange, the same request appears as «请带我去医院。». After that request, a helpful reply is «好的，请跟我来。», which means okay, please come with me. This reply accepts the request and invites you to follow. When you practice, keep the order: first the request to be taken to the hospital, then the reply that says okay and asks you to come along. Do not begin with the reply before the request. If you play the person who is helping, you say «好的，请跟我来。» after you hear the request. If you play the person who needs help, you say «请带我去医院。» first and then wait for the reply. The roles can change, but the order of request and reply stays the same.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
我需要看医生。
I need to see a doctor.
wǒ xūyào kàn yīshēng
附近有医院吗？
Is there a hospital nearby?
fùjìn yǒu yīyuàn ma
最近的诊所在哪儿？
Where is the nearest clinic?
zuìjìn de zhěnsuǒ zài nǎr
请带我去医院。
Please take me to the hospital.
qǐng dài wǒ qù yīyuàn
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
你好，我需要看医生。
Hello, I need to see a doctor.附近有医院，医院在右边。
There is a hospital nearby. The hospital is on the right.请带我去医院。
Please take me to the hospital.好的，请跟我来。
Okay, please come with me.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and reply
You are in a fictional neighborhood and you need medical help. One learner plays the person who needs a doctor, and the other plays a helpful local person. Use the recordings as your model.
Your task: Person A says «你好，我需要看医生。» to state the need and greet at the same time. Person B answers with «附近有医院，医院在右边。» to say that a hospital is nearby and that it is on the right. Then Person A says «请带我去医院。» to ask to be taken to the hospital. Person B finishes with «好的，请跟我来。» to say okay and invite Person A to come along. Say each line after listening to the recording, then repeat the whole exchange once without the audio.
Choose the right reply
You hear a line and must choose the response that fits the situation. The choices come from the recorded lines, so listen for the subject and the purpose of each line.
Your task: Situation 1: You say «附近有医院吗？», asking whether there is a hospital nearby. Which recorded reply fits: «附近有医院，医院在右边。» or «好的，请跟我来。»? Situation 2: You say «请带我去医院。», asking to be taken to the hospital. Which recorded reply fits: «附近有医院，医院在右边。» or «好的，请跟我来。»? For each situation, say the letter of your choice, then say the full recorded line that you chose.
Recall the exchange with roles switched
Now cover the recordings and recall the exchange from memory. You will play both roles in turn, but the order of the exchange stays the same.
Your task: First, play the person who needs help. Say the greeting and need, wait, then say the request to be taken to the hospital. Your partner plays the helpful person and says the reply about the nearby hospital and its location, then the reply that accepts and invites you to come along. After one full round, swap roles. The new helpful person still replies after the request, and the new person who needs help still starts with the greeting and need.
Common questions
What is the difference between asking for a doctor and asking about a hospital?
Asking for a doctor is about seeing a doctor, as in «我需要看医生。». Asking about a hospital is about whether a hospital is nearby, as in «附近有医院吗？». Keep the subject of your question the same as the recording you are using, so a hospital question stays a hospital question and a doctor request stays a doctor request.
How do I know whether the reply is about a location or an instruction to turn?
In «附近有医院，医院在右边。», the reply says that a hospital is nearby and that the hospital is on the right. That is a location: it tells you where the hospital is. It is not an instruction to turn right. Listen for the hospital as the subject, and treat the right-side information as the place where the hospital is.
Sources and further reading
- chinese: ask for a doctorChecked September 2026
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