Insurance in Chinese 保险
bǎoxiǎn
Insurance in Chinese is 保险 (bǎo xiǎn).
Also searched for as: insurance policy, health insurance, car insurance, insurance claim.
Paying now in case something goes wrong later. 15 essential insurance words in Mandarin Chinese, with pinyin and English. Open it in the app to hear each word, tick off the ones you know and turn them into flashcards.
The general word for insurance in Chinese is 保险 (bǎo xiǎn), literally 'protect against danger', and it forms the end of most policy names, from 车险 (chē xiǎn), car insurance, to 寿险 (shòu xiǎn), life cover. These words help you read a policy, talk to an agent and, most importantly, get your money back through 理赔 (lǐ péi), making a claim. You'll also meet state schemes such as 医保 (yī bǎo), basic medical insurance.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 保险 | bǎo xiǎn | insurance |
| 医疗保险 | yī liáo bǎo xiǎn | health insurance |
| 医保 | yī bǎo | state medical insurance |
| 社保 | shè bǎo | social insurance |
| 车险 | chē xiǎn | car insurance |
| 意外险 | yì wài xiǎn | accident insurance |
| 寿险 | shòu xiǎn | life insurance |
| 投保 | tóu bǎo | to take out insurance |
| 保费 | bǎo fèi | premium |
| 保单 | bǎo dān | insurance policy (document) |
| 免赔额 | miǎn péi é | excess |
| 受益人 | shòu yì rén | beneficiary |
| 理赔 | lǐ péi | to make a claim; claim settlement |
| 赔 | péi | to pay out; to compensate |
| 报销 | bào xiāo | to claim back (costs) |
Usage tips
- Policies take the measure word 份 (fèn), so you 买一份保险 (mǎi yī fèn bǎo xiǎn); everyday speech uses 买保险 rather than 投保 (tóu bǎo), which appears on forms and in contracts.
- In mainland China 医保 (yī bǎo) and 社保 (shè bǎo) are state schemes usually linked to employment, while private cover you buy yourself is called 商业保险 (shāng yè bǎo xiǎn), commercial insurance.
- 报销 (bào xiāo) is broader than insurance: it is also the word for claiming back work expenses with receipts, so 这个能报销吗？ (zhè ge néng bào xiāo ma?) works at the office as well as the hospital.
Common mistakes
- Saying 险 with a first tone turns 保险 into 保鲜 (bǎo xiān), to keep food fresh, as in 保鲜膜 (bǎo xiān mó), cling film; make sure it is bǎo xiǎn with two third tones.
- Translating 'excess' literally as 过量 (guò liàng), which means an overdose or excessive amount; the insurance term is 免赔额 (miǎn péi é), literally 'amount exempt from payout'.
Mini dialogue
- A我的车上个星期被撞了。Wǒ de chē shàng gè xīng qī bèi zhuàng le.Someone hit my car last week.
- B你有车险吧？可以申请理赔。Nǐ yǒu chē xiǎn ba? Kě yǐ shēn qǐng lǐ péi.You've got car insurance, haven't you? You can make a claim.
- A有，可是免赔额是一千块。Yǒu, kě shì miǎn péi é shì yī qiān kuài.I have, but the excess is a thousand yuan.
- B那保险公司能赔多少？Nà bǎo xiǎn gōng sī néng péi duō shao?So how much will the insurance company pay out?
- A修车要五千，应该能赔四千。Xiū chē yào wǔ qiān, yīng gāi néng péi sì qiān.The repair's five thousand, so they should pay four.
- B还不错，不过明年的保费可能会涨。Hái bù cuò, bù guò míng nián de bǎo fèi kě néng huì zhǎng.Not bad, though next year's premium will probably go up.
Example sentences
- 你买保险了吗？Have you got insurance?
- 公司给我们买了医疗保险。The company pays for our health insurance.
- 看病可以用医保。You can use your medical insurance when you see a doctor.
- 换工作的时候社保别断了。Don't let your social insurance lapse when you change jobs.
- 车险每年都要续。Car insurance has to be renewed every year.
- 出去旅游最好买个意外险。It's best to get accident insurance when you travel.
- 我给自己买了一份寿险。I took out a life insurance policy for myself.
- 投保之前要看清楚条款。Read the terms carefully before taking out a policy.
- 今年的保费又涨了。The premium has gone up again this year.
- 保单要好好保存。Keep your policy document somewhere safe.
- 这份车险的免赔额是多少？What's the excess on this car insurance?
- 受益人写的是我妻子。My wife is named as the beneficiary.
- 理赔一般要多久？How long does a claim usually take?
- 保险公司赔了我五千块。The insurance company paid me 5,000 yuan.
- 这个药可以报销吗？Can I claim this medicine back?
Practise speaking
Ready to use these words? The Insurance speaking island has 8 everyday questions about insurance to prepare your own answers to.