Lesson 15
Health and the Body
الصحة والجسم
Describe symptoms, visit a doctor, and discuss health in Arabic. The modal expressions for necessity (يَجِب / لَازِم) are introduced here.
Body and Health Vocabulary
ArabicTransliterationMeaning
رَأْسraʾshead
بَطْنbaṭnstomach / abdomen
حُمَّىḥummāfever
أَلَمalampain
دَوَاءdawāʾmedicine
مُسْتَشْفَىmustashfāhospital
أَشْعُرُ بِأَلَمٍ فِي الرَّأْسِ وَعِنْدِي حُمَّى
Ashʿuru biʾalamin fī r-raʾsi wa-ʿindī ḥummā
I feel pain in my head and I have a fever.
يَجِبُ أَنْ تَأْخُذَ الدَّوَاءَ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ فِي الْيَوْم
Yajibu an taʾkhudha d-dawāʾa thalātha marrātin fī l-yawm
You must take the medicine three times a day.
- عِنْدِي: "I have" (for physical states) عِنْدِي حُمَّى (I have a fever), عِنْدِي سُعَال (I have a cough).
- يَجِب أَنْ + subjunctive: "Must / should" the following verb takes the subjunctive (drop the final ن from the five verbs).
- Islamic medicine: الطِّبُّ النَّبَوِيّ (Prophetic medicine) honey (عَسَل), black seed (حَبَّة السَّوْدَاء), and cupping (حِجَامَة) are part of Islamic health culture.
- مُسْتَشْفَى: Form X noun from شَفَى (to heal) via استشفى (to seek healing) the hospital is literally "the place where healing is sought."