Learn Arabic: Medicine & Symptoms

Learning how to navigate health-related situations is a fundamental step in mastering Arabic, whether you are traveling or living in an Arabic-speaking country. This lesson focuses on the essential vocabulary needed to describe health conditions and interact with medical professionals. You will learn key locations like the hospital, or Mustashfā (مُسْتَشْفَى), and the pharmacy, or Ṣaydalīyah (صَيْدَلِيَّة). By understanding symptoms such as a headache, Ṣudā’ (صُدَاع), or a cough, Su‘āl (سُعَال), you can effectively communicate your needs during a visit to the doctor, known as a Ṭabīb (طَبِيب).

A useful pattern to observe in this list is how many medical and health-related terms end with the "ta marbuta" character, which typically signifies a feminine noun. You can see this in words like Ḥabbah (حَبَّة) for pill and Ḥuqnah (حُقْنَة) for injection. Furthermore, you will notice how specific pains are described using the word Alam (أَلَم), meaning pain, followed by the affected body part. For instance, a stomachache is Alam al-ma‘idah (أَلَم اَلْمَعِدَة). You will also encounter modern loanwords like Infilwanzā (إِنْفِلُوَنْزَا) for flu. Mastering these terms ensures you can accurately describe your symptoms, understand a diagnosis, or Tashkhīṣ (تَشْخِيص), and follow a prescription, or Waṣfah ṭibbīyah (وَصْفَة طِبِّيَّة).