浑身 vs. 全身
húnshēn vs. quánshēn

Both words indicate the whole body, from head to toe. Some differences are as follows.

1. 全身can function as the subject and the object, as well as the attributive and the adverbial. 浑身 can function as the attributive and the adverbial, and also as the subject; but it cannot be the headword of a subject, nor can it be the object.

2. 全身 is used in objective statements of location, also in perception and description. 浑身 only used in perception and description, and is more colloquial than the former.

3. Besides human being and animals and plants, 全身 can also be applied to the body of an airplane, a ship, etc. 浑身 can only be applied to human beings or animals.

(1) 他去医院做过一次全身检查。
(2) 他给模型的全身均匀地涂上了一层保护漆。
(3) 突然，一种触电般的感觉马上传遍了他的全身，他知道自己被蛇咬了。
(4) 因为饿了好几天，他全身（浑身）无力，并且感到一阵阵晕眩。
(5) 仙人掌全身（浑身）长满了尖细的长刺。

两个名词都表示整个身体，但是用法有所不同。
1.“全身”可以做主语、宾语、定语和状语；“浑身”不能做宾语，也不能做主语中的中心语。
2.“全身”用于对部位的客观叙述，也可以用于感觉和描写。“浑身”只用于感觉和描写，同时也更为口语化。
3.“全身”除了用于人和动植物，有时也可用于机身、船身等等。“浑身”只用于人或动物。