<p>One common phrase is this one, where X is the somebody in your question:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>祝X早日康復/祝X早日康复。<br>
  <sub>Zhù X zǎo rì kāng fù</sub></p>
</blockquote>

<p>For example, 祝你早日康復/祝你早日康复, which can be translated into <em>"wish/hope you'll recover soon."</em> or <em>"wish/hope you'll make a speedy recovery."</em></p>

<p>Vocabulary:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ul>
  <li>祝 (zhù) = Wish</li>
  <li>你 (nǐ) = You</li>
  <li>早日 (zǎo rì) = in the near future, soon</li>
  <li>康復/康复 (kāng fù) = recover from illness</li>
  </ul>
</blockquote>

<p>This phrase can be used in most situations (mostly formal, informal and situations 1, 2 &amp; 3 in your questions).</p>

<p>For "light" sickness, say a cold or a headache, people often say:</p>

<blockquote>
  <ol>
  <li><p>多休息/多休息 = <em>Take more rest.</em><br>
  <sub>Duō xiū xí</sub></p></li>
  <li><p>多保重/多保重 = <em>Please take care.</em><br>
  <sub>Duō bǎo zhòng</sub></p></li>
  <li>小心別又著涼了/小心别又着凉了 = <em>Please don't get cold again.</em><br>
  <sub>Xiǎo xīn bié yòu zháo liáng le</sub></li>
  </ol>
</blockquote>

<p>You'd often hear parents or elderly relatives say Example 3 to their kids or young people in the family when they have a cold.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-06T18:25:46.163Z
My Chinese co-workers told me that the first answer is more "Taiwanese" and "more complicated than what we learned" (they are all 5 from mainland China and lived there until after college).
Hack-R
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-23T23:46:56.160Z
First of all, thank you. :) Secondly, when you add new expressions, can you add the pinyin to your answer as well? Thanks in advance!
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-28T12:42:44.040Z
I took the liberty of changing some of the formatting. :) I think your answer does it all, and I don't see others adding more info, so I'll accept yours. :)
Alenanno
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-28T12:44:40.843Z
@Alenanno Your format reads much better ;) Thanks for all your hard work.
Georgeee
CC BY-SA 3.0
2011-12-23T23:36:22.447Z
2011-12-28T12:39:49.937Z
2011-12-28T12:39:49.937Z
Georgeee
<p>When we know somebody is sick, how can we wish them to get better? What are the best ways and also the standard ones to do that?</p>

<p>I'd like you to differentiate among some things, <em>if</em> and <em>when</em> applicable:</p>

<ol>
<li>Tell someone directly (<em>get better soon</em>) <strong>VS</strong> tell someone's relative/friend (I wish your __ gets better soon);</li>
<li>When the cause is something "light" (like a flu) <strong>VS</strong> something more serious (being in the hospital);</li>
<li>When there is confidence with the interlocutor <strong>VS</strong> when there's no confidence;</li>
<li>etc... Other things that I might have forgotten.</li>
</ol>

<expressions><politeness>
How do we wish someone to get better?
# How do we wish someone to get better?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2011-12-23)

When we know somebody is sick, how can we wish them to get better? What are the best ways and also the standard ones to do that?

I'd like you to differentiate among some things, *if* and *when* applicable:

1. Tell someone directly (*get better soon*) **VS** tell someone's relative/friend (I wish your \_\_ gets better soon);
2. When the cause is something "light" (like a flu) **VS** something more serious (being in the hospital);
3. When there is confidence with the interlocutor **VS** when there's no confidence;
4. etc... Other things that I might have forgotten.

**Tags:** expressions, politeness

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2011-12-23. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

One common phrase is this one, where X is the somebody in your question:

> 祝X早日康復/祝X早日康复。  
> Zhù X zǎo rì kāng fù

For example, 祝你早日康復/祝你早日康复, which can be translated into *"wish/hope you'll recover soon."* or *"wish/hope you'll make a speedy recovery."*

Vocabulary:

> * 祝 (zhù) = Wish
> * 你 (nǐ) = You
> * 早日 (zǎo rì) = in the near future, soon
> * 康復/康复 (kāng fù) = recover from illness

This phrase can be used in most situations (mostly formal, informal and situations 1, 2 & 3 in your questions).

For "light" sickness, say a cold or a headache, people often say:

> 1. 多休息/多休息 = *Take more rest.*  
>    Duō xiū xí
> 2. 多保重/多保重 = *Please take care.*  
>    Duō bǎo zhòng
> 3. 小心別又著涼了/小心别又着凉了 = *Please don't get cold again.*  
>    Xiǎo xīn bié yòu zháo liáng le

You'd often hear parents or elderly relatives say Example 3 to their kids or young people in the family when they have a cold.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: First of all, thank you. :) Secondly, when you add new expressions, can you add the pinyin to your answer as well? Thanks in advance!  
> **username_0**: I took the liberty of changing some of the formatting. :) I think your answer does it all, and I don't see others adding more info, so I'll accept yours. :)  
> **username_1**: @Alenanno Your format reads much better ;) Thanks for all your hard work.  
> **username_2**: My Chinese co-workers told me that the first answer is more "Taiwanese" and "more complicated than what we learned" (they are all 5 from mainland China and lived there until after college).  

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