Visiting a doctor in an Arabic-speaking country can be stressful if you don’t know the right words. This lesson teaches you how to describe symptoms, understand doctor instructions, and navigate a medical visit with confidence. Whether you’re traveling or living abroad, these phrases will help you communicate effectively about your health.
Body Parts Review
Before describing symptoms, let’s review key body parts:
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| رأس | ra’s | head |
| عين | 3ayn | eye |
| أذن | udhun | ear |
| أنف | anf | nose |
| فم | fam | mouth |
| يد | yad | hand |
| قدم | qadam | foot |
| بطن | baṭn | stomach |
| صدر | ṣadr | chest |
| ظهر | ẓahr | back |
| ركبة | rukba | knee |
| رقبة | raqaba | neck |
Describing Symptoms
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مرض | maraḍ | illness / disease |
| صداع | ṣudā3 | headache |
| حمّى | ḥumma | fever |
| سعال | su3āl | cough |
| ألم | alam | pain |
| حرارة | ḥarāra | temperature |
| دوخة | dawkha | dizziness |
| غثيان | ghuthyān | nausea |
| إسهال | ishāl | diarrhea |
| حساسية | ḥasāsiya | allergy |
| التهاب | iltihāb | inflammation |
| كسر | kasr | fracture |
| جرح | jarḥ | wound / cut |
| حرق | ḥariq | burn |
At the Doctor’s Office
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| دكتور | duktoor | doctor |
| مستشفى | mustashfa | hospital |
| عيادة | 3iyāda | clinic |
| صيدلية | saydaliya | pharmacy |
| وصفة | waṣfa | prescription |
| دواء | dawā’ | medicine |
| فيتامينات | vitāmīnāt | vitamins |
| مضاد حيوي | muḍādd ḥayawī | antibiotic |
| مسكن | musakkin | painkiller |
| فحص | faḥṣ | examination |
| تحاليل | taḥālīl | tests / analysis |
| أشعة | ashya3 | X-ray |
| عملية | 3amaliya | surgery |
| تحويلة | taḥweela | referral |
Common Doctor-Patient Dialogue
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| مما تشكو؟ | mimmā tashkū? | what’s your problem? (to a man) |
| مما تشكين؟ | mimmā tashkīn? | what’s your problem? (to a woman) |
| أشعر بـ… | ash3uru bi… | I feel… |
| يؤلمني… | yu’limnee… | my… hurts me |
| منذ متى؟ | mundhu matā? | since when? |
| هل عندك حمّى؟ | hal 3indak ḥumma? | do you have a fever? (to a man) |
| هل عندكِ حمّى؟ | hal 3indaki ḥumma? | do you have a fever? (to a woman) |
| افتح فمك | iftaḥ famak | open your mouth (to a man) |
| افتحي فمك | iftaḥī famik | open your mouth (to a woman) |
| تنفس بعمق | tanaffas bi-3umq | breathe deeply |
| لا تقلق | lā taqlaq | don’t worry |
Dialogue: At the Clinic
Doctor's visit
- Aahlan, mā l-mushkila?Hello, what's the problem?
- Bash3uru bi-ṣudādin shadeedI have a severe headache
- Amundhu matā?Since when?
- Bmundhu yawmaynSince two days ago
- Ahal 3indak ḥumma?Do you have a fever?
- Bna3am, qaleelanYes, a little
- Aiftaḥ famak wa qul āhOpen your mouth and say ah
- BāhAh
- Aanta bi-ḥājat ilā musakkini wa muḍāddin ḥayawiyyYou need a painkiller and antibiotic
- Bshukran duktoorThank you, doctor
Describing Pain
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| يؤلمني | yu’limnee | it hurts me |
| يدي تؤلمني | yadi tu’limnee | my hand hurts me |
| بطني يؤلمني | baṭnee yu’limnee | my stomach hurts me |
| رأسي يؤلمني | ra’see yu’limnee | my head hurts me |
| ظهري يؤلمني | ẓahrī yu’limnee | my back hurts me |
| قلبي يؤلمني | qalbee yu’limnee | my heart hurts me |
| أشعر بحرارة | ash3uru bi-ḥarāra | I feel hot |
| أشعر ببرودة | ash3uru bi-burūda | I feel cold |
| أشعر بدوار | ash3uru bi-dawār | I feel dizzy |
| أشعر بغثيان | ash3uru bi-ghuthyān | I feel nauseous |
| لا أستطيع النوم | lā astaṭī3u an-nawm | I can’t sleep |
| فقدت شهيتي | faqattu shahītī | I lost my appetite |
Doctor’s Instructions
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| خذ الدواء | khudh ad-dawā’ | take the medicine |
| مرتين يومياً | marratayn yawmiyyan | twice daily |
| ثلاث مرات يومياً | thalāth marrāt yawmiyyan | three times daily |
| قبل الأكل | qabla al-akl | before eating |
| بعد الأكل | ba3da al-akl | after eating |
| مع الماء | ma3 al-mā’ | with water |
| ارتح | irtaḥ | rest |
| اشرب ماءً كثيراً | ishrab mā’an katheeran | drink lots of water |
| عد بعد أسبوع | 3ud ba3da usbu3 | come back after a week |
| إذا ساءت الحالة، عد فوراً | idhā sā’at al-ḥāla, 3ud fawran | if it worsens, come back immediately |
Medical Vocabulary
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| سجل طبي | sijill ṭabī | medical record |
| تأمين صحي | ta’mīn ṣiḥḥī | health insurance |
| طوارئ | ṭawāri’ | emergency |
| إنعاش | in3āsh | resuscitation |
| غرفة عمليات | ghurfat 3amaliyāt | operating room |
| جراحة | jarāḥa | surgery |
| تخدير | takhdeer | anesthesia |
| تحاليل مخبرية | taḥālīl makhbariyya | lab tests |
| صورة شعاعية | ṣūra sha3ā’iyya | X-ray image |
Cultural Notes
- In many Arab countries, you can see a doctor without an appointment at a clinic
- It’s common to bring your own medications from home
- Family members often accompany patients to doctor visits
- Doctors are highly respected in Arab culture — use proper titles
- Pharmacies (صيدلية) are widely available and can give basic medical advice
- Medical care is often cash-based, though insurance is becoming more common
Practice
How do you say 'I have a headache' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'يؤلمني' for 'hurts me'
What is 'وصفة' in English?
hint: You get this from the doctor
How do you say 'take the medicine' in Arabic?
hint: Use 'خذ' for 'take' (to a man)
What does 'منذ متى' mean?
hint: Used to ask about duration of symptoms
Match each pair — start with Arabic (left)
0 / 8Arabic
English
← Select an Arabic word, then tap its meaning →
Learn more about body parts? Continue to Body Parts Vocabulary.
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