massage vocab?

[victor557]

Hi people, does anyone know where I can find useful phrases and vocab for getting a massage? Each time i do a search for it, I end up with information about "getting a haircut"!

[abcdefg]

I don't know of any single reference source, but can probably help if you indicate what you want to be able to say.

[victor557]

Thank you abcdefg Just simple stuff such as the most common massages they offer, and the general intructions they might give during the course of the massage. For example, I remember they said "过来“ meaning "come over", and they said other stuff which I didn't understand. Might be stuff like "left your feet" or "spread your arms" of etc..... or whatever. and i guess they'd ask things like whether something hurts or not etc. Basically, i just want to understand and be able to respond to the most likely things they would say (i didn't understand much of what was going on last time).

[tooironic]

For many people the most important vocab to remember is 全套服务 quántào fúwù ("full-service").

[jbradfor]

I don't know of any single reference source

Then let's start one! Post what you know!

[anonymoose]

This kind of info can't be that hard to find, surely?

For example, you could refer to the website of Shanghai Princess Massage. Maybe we should even start a pole on which 按摩小姐 we like the most.

[rezaf]

If it hurts, tell them 轻一点, if it's too light then tell them 重一点 and 放松 means relax.

[langxia]

If they start talking about 打飞机(dafeiji)and add some numbers you aren't actually in a massage parlor and should get out of there.

[pancake]

First of all, there are two types of massage parlours. There's the legit kind that (I assume) you're interested in, where they'll actually give you a massage. Then there's the kind of place that's more or less just a front for prostitution. Back when my Chinese was a lot worse, I managed to end up in a massage parlour of the latter variety. My back was really sore, and I really wanted a nice, proper, massage. Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that the girl thought I wanted a "helping hand." After my desperate plea of 不不不不, she instead started to rather lamely knead my thighs for the remainder of the time. That's easily the worst and most expensive massage I've had in China, but at least I left with my dignity intact.

Okay, here's some simple vocab for you:

全身按摩 - full-body (clothed) massage

按摩脚 - foot massage

疼 - pain

These three should take you far. Good luck!

[rezaf]

for foot massage you can also say 足疗(zu2liao2)

Edit: sorry for the wrong tone

[victor557]

thanks a lot for all the info. this is exactly the stuff i needed to know. my god... if they'd have said '打飞机' i'd have been totally confused wondering why the hell they're talking about airplanes

so i can go to a place and say "我要一个按摩脚“ and i'll just get a simple foot massage, right?

[abcdefg]

so i can go to a place and say "我要一个按摩脚“ and i'll just get a simple foot massage, right?

Just say 按脚 and point at your feet.

Here is some more. Warning, long post. I wrote it last night and I now see that some points were already covered, so please forgive the duplication.

For starters, one needs to be clear about what one is after. Legitimate massage shops will have different vocabulary requirements than ones which are fronts for sex. I’m not against sex, but that topic probably belongs on another forum. If you see lots of pink lights or girls wearing short, frilly dresses and high heels, you most likely took a wrong turn.

I go once a week to a simple blind massage shop here in Kunming. It’s a “locals” place that charges 40 Yuan per hour. Eight or nine tables are side by side in one medium size, rather shabby room with no curtains or partitions. Clients take off their shoes, but wear the rest of their clothes and are covered with a blanket so as not to be cold. Some masseurs are male and others are female. Clients are also both sexes. Blind massage is 盲人按摩 and you may see that on a sign outside.

Here are some frequent “massage situations” that need language. You can look up the pronunciation (Pinyin) on MDBG or by using another dictionary that you like better.

TIME -- To specify the amount of time you want to buy, one thing that confused me for a while is that the duration is often said orally in a different way from how it is written on the wall. They talk about 钟 instead of 分钟 or 小时. 钟 means "unit of time" and is usually one hour.

I often get 90 minutes of work, which is said as 一个半钟。 They will usually still understand if you order in hours or minutes, but sometimes as the session progresses, the masseur may ask if you want to 加一个钟，which is asking if you want to add another hour, so it's handy to know that 钟 term.

COST – Like any service in China, agree on the price ahead of time. Don’t rely on a sign you might have seen in the window. It could have been a limited promotion from two or three years ago.

WHAT HURTS -- In legitimate places the first thing the masseur will usually ask is 哪里不舒服?， which means “Where do you feel uncomfortable?” Low back is 腰、neck is 脖子、shoulders are 肩膀。

HOW HARD – Near the beginning, the masseur will usually ask 力度可以吗？This is asking if the force being used is appropriate for you. In other words，is it is too strong or too light. If it is OK, you can simply reply 可以的。If not, 轻一点儿 will instruct the masseur to rub and press lighter. If you want it more vigorous, 重一点儿 will get you that. As you go along, the masseur will usually say something along the lines of 不合适就说, which means “If it isn’t the way you want it, just speak up.” After all, they cannot read your mind.

POSITION – Lying face down is 趴着。That’s the usual starting position for traditional Chinese massage. After a while, you may get tired of lying face down. You can say 我趴累了 and they will let you turn over. Or after a while, the masseur may tell you to turn over, which is 翻过来。Some places, particularly those doing Thai style massage, will want you to lie face up to start. Face up is 躺着 or 躺身。

Usually near the end, the masseur will take a minute to wash his or her hands, then come back and massage your face and head. When they leave, you may think it is over before it really is. Head massage is 按头。Sometimes when all else is finished, the masseur will ask you to sit up on the table or sit on a stool nearby so they can give some brief finishing touches to your head, neck, shoulders, and upper back between the shoulder blades. Asking you to sit is 请坐吧, or to sit up 请坐起来。

TCM -- Specialized medical massage done by a TCM doctor or someone on his staff at a hospital or clinic will involve other terms and will probably be called 推拿。It is likely to involve just one trouble spot or area, and not be a general, all over treatment. TCM massage may be preceded or followed by other physical modalities, such as moist heat and traction.

FOOT MASSAGE will also have some different terms. I go to a different (non blind) "locals" place for one of these once a week. Costs 30 Yuan. Foot massage is 足疗 or 按脚。In the south one often hears 泡脚，which literally means just to soak the feet, but almost always includes a foot massage after the soak.

They may ask what kind of herbal medicine or scented additives to put in your soaking water. They may even hand you a menu of a dozen confusing choices. You can say 一般的 or 普通的 for the basic and most common kind. Later you can study up on options.

They may ask if the water temperature is OK. That is 温度可以吗？ They may ask if you want more hot water. That is 加点热水吗？They may ask if you want your nails cut and that is usually 修脚。Literally means “repair the feet” and includes the scraping of corns and calluses and so on.

They may ask if you want them to use special flower essence oil. That costs extra and is 精油。The basic service is done with a simple lubricant ointment at no extra charge and that is 按摩膏。

A foot massage shop is a good place to chat and practice the new vocabulary you have recently learned in class. Much more difficult to do when you are lying face down on a table.

TYPES -- If the place you go offers both foot massage and body massage, you can usually specify the latter by just saying 按摩。If they don't understand, you can expand on that by trying 按身 or 按身体。 An oil massage usually costs more and requires taking off your street clothes and putting on their pajamas. Oil massage is 推油。

Hope this helps some. What I gave you is bare bones. There is plenty of variation of what is available from place to place, and I’m sure others will chime in with more. Massage in China can be glorious: an inexpensive, relaxing and healthful treat.

[Kenny同志]

For reference, 打飞机 is a slang which means to masturbate.

全套服务 or full-service as some may call it, is often an euphemism or hint for sex service.

[skylee]

I have only had massage in Thailand and Cambodia so I don't really know much about it.

But regarding abcdefg's post -

"钟 means "unit of time" - I think 鐘 simply means "hour", not unit of time. It is not an uncommon way to call an hour, at least in HK.

And to lie face up is 躺着 .

"修脚。Literally means “repair the feet” - my interpretation is different. I think it means 修飾 to beautify. Same usage for 修眉/修甲/修頭髮.

But of couse these does not really matter.

PS - 按摩高(X) 按摩膏(O)

[abcdefg]

Thanks @Skylee. I sure did type the wrong 躺。I will go back and correct it now so as not to confuse future readers.

When I lived in Zhuhai, 钟 seemed to just be short for 钟头 and definitely was always an hour. And it is in Kunming as well most of the time. But I sometimes stop for an outdoor chair massage on 南平街 here where the time unit is 20 minutes, and they also refer to that as 一个钟。Of course, that may just be matter of local custom.

I'll bet you are right about 修脚。Since my old beat up feet are well past beautification, I didn't even think of that meaning.

I thought that 按摩膏 used the same 膏 character as toothpaste, 牙膏。Did I get that wrong? Oh, I see now. Another typo. I will go back and fix that too. Thanks again.

[victor557]

some very valuable information, thank you for the posts.

i went to the place last night, and encountered at least half the vocab that abcdefg mentioned. the place seemed legit, but with the full-body massage, it looks like some "special service" comes standard. when it started to get “interesting”, i needed to say 不要特殊服务 (buyao4 te4shu1 fu2wu4), meaning i don't need special service. the girl understood immediately and there was no confusion.

as abcdefg mentioned, it was a fantastic opportunity to practice my chinese. i think the staff are bored, and are curious about chatting with a foreigner. they were willing to speak slowly where necessary and i managed to have some decent conversation. so it was like a massage with a simultaneous chinese lesson i think i'll go for a foot massage every week. it's relatively cheap, relaxing, and i can improve my chinese.

[abcdefg]

Life is short. Don't need to always say no to "special services" when they are offered.

Here is a short "English Menu" that I helped the boss of a small neighborhood massage place write last year so he would be prepared for foreign clients. It is simple and there might be something useful there, so I'll attach it.

XIAO WU MASSAGE PRICE LIST 小武推拿价目1.doc

[Ludens]

Don't need to always say no to "special services" when they are offered.

It could also be that people don't feel comfortable supporting prostitution, however short life may be.

[abcdefg]

#18, I was referring to things like a "happy ending" for an oil massage. Not sure if that falls under your definition of prostitution.

[jbradfor]

Well, at least here, paying someone to do that is illegal, so it would count. I'm not saying I disagree with you, but....

Maybe we should even start a pole on which 按摩小姐 we like the most.

I'd certainly like to see them on a pole.....

Stupid question. Is that place in #6 legit? I would assume not, since they don't show the faces of the 小姐 and they emphasize their attractiveness. Not to mention that it states they come to you. But it's so blatant, it just surprises me.