How to Say “X-ray” in Chinese
Emergencies and health · HSK 4
"X-ray" in Chinese is X光 (X guāng). In everyday hospital talk, Chinese people just say X光 (X guāng, literally 'X light'); you'll hear nurses say 去拍个X光 ('go take an X-ray'). The more technical term X射线 shows up in written reports and radiology department signs (放射科 fàng shè kē).
Primary translation
X光
X guāng
Variants by register
Formal
X射线
X shè xiàn
When to use it
In everyday hospital talk, Chinese people just say X光 (X guāng, literally 'X light'); you'll hear nurses say 去拍个X光 ('go take an X-ray'). The more technical term X射线 shows up in written reports and radiology department signs (放射科 fàng shè kē). Note the verb: we say 拍 (pāi, 'to shoot/take') for X-rays, CT scans, and photos; not 照 or 做. If a doctor tells you 去拍片子 (qù pāi piàn zi), that's casual for 'go get imaging done' and usually means an X-ray.
Example sentences
医生让我去拍个X光。
Yī shēng ràng wǒ qù pāi gè X guāng.
The doctor told me to go get an X-ray.
放射科在三楼，拍完X光回来找我。
Fàng shè kē zài sān lóu, pāi wán X guāng huí lái zhǎo wǒ.
Radiology is on the third floor. Come back to me after the X-ray.
X光片显示骨头没事。
X guāng piàn xiǎn shì gǔ tou méi shì.
The X-ray shows the bone is fine.