Mental Health
advanced心理健康
Learn to talk about feelings, stress, and mental wellbeing in Chinese — from everyday emotions to seeking professional help.
40 words12 phrases2 dialogues~25 min study time
Vocabulary
40 words — click any row for an example sentence
Feelings
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 焦虑 | jiāolǜ | anxiety; anxious | noun |
| 压力 | yālì | pressure; stress | noun |
| 抑郁 | yìyù | depression; depressed | adjective |
| 失眠 | shīmián | insomnia; to suffer from insomnia | noun |
| 疲劳 | píláo | fatigue; exhaustion | noun |
| 紧张 | jǐnzhāng | nervous; tense | adjective |
| 烦躁 | fánzào | irritable; agitated | adjective |
| 孤独 | gūdú | lonely; loneliness | adjective |
| 崩溃 | bēngkuì | to break down; to collapse (emotionally) | verb |
| 情绪 | qíngxù | emotion; mood | noun |
| 心情 | xīnqíng | mood; state of mind | noun |
| 低落 | dīluò | low (in spirits); downcast | adjective |
Coping
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 放松 | fàngsōng | to relax; to loosen up | verb |
| 休息 | xiūxi | to rest | verb |
| 深呼吸 | shēn hūxī | deep breathing; to take a deep breath | verb |
| 冥想 | míngxiǎng | meditation; to meditate | noun |
| 运动 | yùndòng | exercise; to exercise | verb |
| 散步 | sànbù | to take a walk; to stroll | verb |
| 减压 | jiǎnyā | to relieve stress; stress relief | verb |
| 发泄 | fāxiè | to vent; to let off steam | verb |
Seeking Help
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 心理咨询 | xīnlǐ zīxún | psychological counseling | noun |
| 心理医生 | xīnlǐ yīshēng | psychologist; therapist | noun |
| 倾诉 | qīngsù | to confide in; to pour out one's heart | verb |
| 心理热线 | xīnlǐ rèxiàn | mental health hotline | noun |
| 治疗 | zhìliáo | treatment; to treat (medically) | verb |
| 陪伴 | péibàn | to accompany; companionship | verb |
Encouragement
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 加油 | jiāyóu | keep going; you can do it | phrase |
| 没关系 | méi guānxi | it does not matter; it is OK | phrase |
| 慢慢来 | mànman lái | take it slow; no rush | phrase |
| 坚强 | jiānqiáng | strong; resilient | adjective |
Workplace Stress
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 加班 | jiābān | to work overtime | verb |
| 内卷 | nèijuǎn | involution; excessive competition | noun |
| 躺平 | tǎngpíng | to lie flat; to opt out of the rat race | verb |
| 辞职 | cízhí | to resign; to quit a job | verb |
| 过劳 | guòláo | overwork; burnout | noun |
Wellbeing
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 心理健康 | xīnlǐ jiànkāng | mental health | noun |
| 安全感 | ānquángǎn | sense of security | noun |
| 幸福感 | xìngfúgǎn | sense of happiness; wellbeing | noun |
| 乐观 | lèguān | optimistic | adjective |
| 自信 | zìxìn | self-confident; confidence | adjective |
Key Phrases
Essential expressions
你最近还好吗？
Nǐ zuìjìn hái hǎo ma?
Have you been OK recently?
Checking in on a friend or colleague who may be going through a tough time.
我觉得压力很大。
Wǒ juéde yālì hěn dà.
I feel under a lot of pressure.
Expressing that you are feeling stressed to a friend or counselor.
你不是一个人，我一直在你身边。
Nǐ bú shì yí ge rén, wǒ yìzhí zài nǐ shēnbiān.
You are not alone. I am always by your side.
Offering emotional support to someone who is struggling.
有什么需要帮忙的，随时告诉我。
Yǒu shénme xūyào bāngmáng de, suíshí gàosu wǒ.
If there is anything you need help with, let me know anytime.
Expressing willingness to help a friend in difficulty.
别给自己太大压力。
Bié gěi zìjǐ tài dà yālì.
Do not put too much pressure on yourself.
Advising someone who is overworking or overthinking.
我最近心情不太好。
Wǒ zuìjìn xīnqíng bú tài hǎo.
I have not been in a good mood lately.
Opening up to someone about a period of low mood.
要不要一起出去走走？
Yào bú yào yìqǐ chūqù zǒuzou?
Do you want to go for a walk together?
Inviting someone to get outside as a way to lift their spirits.
你可以考虑看看心理医生。
Nǐ kěyǐ kǎolǜ kànkan xīnlǐ yīshēng.
You might consider seeing a therapist.
Gently suggesting professional help to someone dealing with mental health issues.
哭出来就好了，别憋着。
Kū chūlái jiù hǎo le, bié biē zhe.
Cry it out and you will feel better. Do not hold it in.
Encouraging someone to release their emotions instead of suppressing them.
一切都会好起来的。
Yíqiè dōu huì hǎo qǐlái de.
Everything will get better.
Offering encouragement and hope to someone going through a difficult time.
你已经做得很好了。
Nǐ yǐjīng zuò de hěn hǎo le.
You have already done very well.
Validating someone's efforts and reassuring them they are enough.
照顾好自己才是最重要的。
Zhàogu hǎo zìjǐ cái shì zuì zhòngyào de.
Taking good care of yourself is the most important thing.
Reminding someone to prioritize self-care.
Dialogues
Practice conversations
Confiding in a Friend
Two friends meet at a coffee shop. One of them has been feeling overwhelmed by work pressure and opens up about their mental state.
Speaker A
你最近看起来很累，还好吗？
Speaker B
说实话，最近压力特别大，每天加班到很晚，晚上还经常失眠。
Speaker A
你不能这样下去，身体和心理都会出问题的。有没有想过跟领导谈谈？
Speaker B
我怕领导觉得我不能承受压力。现在到处都在内卷，谁都不敢抱怨。
Speaker A
你的健康比工作重要。要不你先去看看心理医生，让专业的人帮你想想办法？
Speaker B
你说得对。其实我也觉得自己需要找人聊聊，但一直不好意思开口。
Speaker A
看心理医生不丢人，反而说明你重视自己的心理健康。我陪你去，好不好？
Speaker B
谢谢你，有你这个朋友真好。那我们周末去看看吧。
Cultural note: In Chinese culture, mental health has traditionally carried a degree of stigma, and many people feel embarrassed (不好意思) to seek professional help. However, attitudes are changing rapidly, especially among younger generations in urban areas. Offering to accompany someone (我陪你去) is a meaningful gesture of support and removes the barrier of having to face the situation alone.
Talking to a Counselor
A young professional visits a counselor for the first time to discuss persistent anxiety and work-life imbalance.
Speaker A
你好，请坐。这是你第一次来做心理咨询吗？
Speaker B
是的。最近我总是感到很焦虑，而且经常睡不好觉。
Speaker A
能具体说说是什么让你焦虑吗？
Speaker B
工作上的事情太多了，每天都要加班。我觉得自己永远做不完，很怕出错。
Speaker A
你有没有试过用一些方法来放松自己？比如运动或者冥想。
Speaker B
没有时间。每天下班回到家已经很晚了，只想躺着不动。
Speaker A
我理解。我们可以先从小事开始，比如每天花五分钟做深呼吸。慢慢来，不用着急。
Speaker B
好的，我试试看。谢谢老师，我觉得能说出来心里舒服多了。
Cultural note: In China, counselors and therapists are sometimes addressed as 老师 (lǎoshī, teacher) rather than 医生 (yīshēng, doctor), which carries a softer and less clinical connotation. Psychological counseling in China is a growing field, with many universities and larger companies now offering counseling services. The phrase 慢慢来 (take it slow) is frequently used by counselors and friends alike to reduce the pressure to achieve immediate results.
Cultural Notes
Context that textbooks miss
Test Yourself
8 questions covering vocabulary, phrases, and dialogue comprehension.
Take the Mental Health Quiz (8 questions)→HSK Level Overlap
22 of 40 words appear in HSK levels