Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 痛 | tòng | /tʰʊŋ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰʊŋ³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 疼痛 | téngtòng | /tʰɤŋ³⁵ tʰʊŋ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰɐŋ²¹ tʰʊŋ³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 苦痛 | kǔtòng | /kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹ tʰʊŋ⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /fuː³⁵ tʰʊŋ³³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
| 疼 | téng | /tʰɤŋ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰəŋ²⁴/ (Mandarin, Dungan, Sinological IPA) |
| 痛苦 | tòngkǔ | /tʰʊŋ⁵¹ kʰu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /tʰʊŋ³³ fuː³⁵/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
Mandarin uses different words to distinguish between simple physical aches and deep emotional distress. While 疼 and 痛 both describe physical sensation, 痛苦 is specifically used to encompass profound emotional or mental suffering. To increase the intensity of an expression of pain, you can add 非常 before it.
Which one should you use?
疼 is the more common choice for spoken, everyday language when describing physical pain. In contrast, 痛 is slightly more formal or is used in specific medical contexts. While both can refer to bodily suffering, 痛苦 is used for deep emotional or mental distress rather than just a physical sensation.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form тын is used in Dungan.
How does it change in a sentence?
In medical contexts, the noun 痛 is often combined with a body part to specify the location, such as in 胸痛 (chest pain). In spoken Mandarin, 疼 is frequently used as a verb meaning 'to ache', such as in 头疼 (head aches).
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 痛 is tòng (/tʰʊŋ⁵¹/).
Did you know?
- While describing physical hurt, the word 疼 can also be used metaphorically to mean 'to love dearly' or 'to dote on' someone.
- The character for 'pain' often contains the radical 疒, a visual component that literally depicts a person leaning against a bed.
- The character 痛 is related to the concept of being 'thorough' or 'deep' in other contexts, such as in the phrase 'thoroughly understood'.
Examples in context
- 你有胸痛吗？Are you having any chest pain?This sentence is useful for asking about specific areas of pain using 痛.Tatoeba #13911082 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #5585371 by CK
- 痛开始减轻了。The pain has started to ease now.This sentence is useful for describing the sensation of 痛 easing.Tatoeba #6094840 by verdastelo9604, translation #278318 by sacredceltic
- 他背疼，不能弯腰。He has back pain, he can't bend over.This sentence is useful for describing physical aching using 疼.Tatoeba #3365336 by go_oo, translation #7772884 by sharris123
- 我头疼得厉害。I have a severe headache.
- 我脚痛得走不动了。My feet hurt so much that I can't walk.
- 我肚子疼死了，简直受不了！My stomach hurts so much, I can't bear it!
- 我的腿疼得非常厉害。My leg hurts extremely badly.
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Xinyi tells Junjie about her injury.
- 欣怡 Xinyi我的脚踝还在痛。Wǒ de jiǎohuái hái zài tòng.My ankle is still in pain.
- 俊杰 Junjie你现在感觉怎么样？Nǐ xiànzài gǎnjué zěnmeyàng?How do you feel now?
- 欣怡 Xinyi这种痛很难受。Zhè zhǒng tòng hěn nánshòu.This pain is very uncomfortable.
- 俊杰 Junjie快去医院看看吧。Kuài qù yīyuàn kànkan ba.Go to the hospital quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pain” translations and entries 痛, 疼痛, 苦痛, 疼, 痛苦, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
