عندي وجع في بطني
ʿandi wajaʿ fī baṭni
I have a stomachache
Usage
At a doctor or pharmacy, to say where it hurts.
Grammar Note
"ʿandi" plus a noun means "I have"; the place follows with "fī". A sentence assembled from attested words.
وين الفارماسي القريب؟
wīn l-fārmāsi l-qrīb?
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Usage
Ask passers-by when you need medicine.
Grammar Note
"fārmāsi" comes from French "pharmacie"; the adjective follows the noun. A sentence assembled from attested words.
عندك دواء للوجع؟
ʿandek dwā l-l-wajaʿ?
Do you have a painkiller?
Usage
At a pharmacy, to ask for a painkiller.
Grammar Note
"l-" + "al-" + "wajaʿ" fuse into "l-l-wajaʿ"; a rising tone makes it a question. A sentence assembled from attested words.
عندي سخانة
ʿandi skhāna
I have a fever
Usage
At a doctor or pharmacy when you feel unwell.
Grammar Note
"skhāna" is "heat" and also fever; add "barsha" to stress it. A sentence assembled from attested words.
لازمني وصفة طبية
lāzemni waṣfa ṭibbiyya
I need a prescription
Usage
At a pharmacy, for a drug that needs a doctor's prescription.
Grammar Note
"lāzemni" means "I need"; "waṣfa ṭibbiyya" is a fairly formal set phrase. A sentence assembled from attested words.
جاتني الدوخة
jātni d-dūkha
I feel dizzy
Usage
To tell people nearby or a doctor that you feel dizzy.
Grammar Note
Literally "the dizziness came to me"; the same for men and women.
أنا حامل
ana ḥāmel
I am pregnant
Usage
Tell a doctor or pharmacist before any medicine or test.
Grammar Note
Said by a woman; "ḥāmel" means pregnant here.
ضيق نفس
ḍīq nfas
Asthma
Usage
To name a condition; say "ʿandi ḍīq nfas" for "I have asthma".
Grammar Note
Literally "tightness of breath"; the everyday word for asthma.
عندي السكر
ʿandi s-sukkar
I have diabetes
Usage
To tell a doctor or restaurant staff about your condition.
Grammar Note
In speech, "s-sukkar" (sugar) alone can mean diabetes. A sentence assembled from attested words.
عندي غلض الدم
ʿandi ghulḍ d-damm
I have high blood pressure
Usage
To tell a doctor about your condition.
Grammar Note
Literally "thickness of the blood". A sentence assembled from attested words.
عندي مرض في القلب
ʿandi maraḍ fī l-qalb
I have a heart condition
Usage
To give a doctor your medical history.
Grammar Note
"maraḍ fī l-qalb" is "an illness in the heart". A sentence assembled from attested words.
عندي الصرع
ʿandi ṣ-ṣarʿ
I have epilepsy
Usage
Tell people around you in case of a seizure.
Grammar Note
The pattern "ʿandi" plus the name of the illness. A sentence assembled from attested words.
تأمين على المرض
taʾmīn ʿalā l-maraḍ
Health insurance
Usage
When a clinic asks whether you have insurance.
Grammar Note
Literally "insurance against illness".
جرح
jarḥ
Wound, cut
Usage
Say it while pointing at the injury.
Grammar Note
The same spelling is also the verb "to injure".
وذن
wedhn
Ear
Usage
To say your ear hurts.
Grammar Note
Not the standard "udhun"; the Tunisian word is "wedhn".
رقبة
reqba
Neck
Usage
To say your neck hurts.
Grammar Note
A feminine noun.
كتف
ktef
Shoulder
Usage
To say your shoulder hurts.
Grammar Note
The same spelling is also a verb meaning "to tie up".
ركبة
rekba
Knee
Usage
To say your knee hurts.
Grammar Note
A feminine noun.
صبع
ṣbaʿ
Finger, toe
Usage
To point out an injured finger or toe.
Grammar Note
Unlike standard "iṣbaʿ", it has no initial vowel.
جلد
jeld
Skin
Usage
To describe a skin problem to a doctor.
Grammar Note
The same spelling is also a verb meaning "to whip".
ذراع
dhrāʿ
Arm
Usage
To say your arm is injured or hurts.
Grammar Note
Refers to the arm from shoulder to wrist.
خشم
khashm
Nose
Usage
To describe a nose problem.
Grammar Note
Standard Arabic says "anf"; everyday speech says "khashm".
عندي الكحة
ʿandi l-kaḥḥa
I have a cough
Usage
At a pharmacy when you have a cold.
Grammar Note
The pattern "ʿandi" plus a symptom.
عندي برودة
ʿandi brūda
I have a cold
Usage
Before asking a pharmacy for cold medicine.
Grammar Note
"brūda" is "coldness" and also means a cold or flu. A sentence assembled from attested words.
كرشي تعصمت
kershi tʿaṣṣmet
I'm constipated
Usage
At a pharmacy when you need a remedy.
Grammar Note
Literally "my belly got blocked". A sentence assembled from attested words.
كرشي تجري
kershi tjri
I have diarrhea
Usage
At a pharmacy or doctor after food trouble.
Grammar Note
Literally "my belly runs". A sentence assembled from attested words.
لازمني نرتاح؟
lāzemni nertāḥ?
Do I need to rest?
Usage
Ask the doctor after the examination.
Grammar Note
Saying the statement with rising tone makes it a question. A sentence assembled from attested words.
لازمني كرهبة الإسعاف
lāzemni karhbat l-isʿāf
I need an ambulance
Usage
To ask people nearby for help in an emergency.
Grammar Note
An ambulance is "karhbat l-isʿāf", the rescue car. A sentence assembled from attested words.
عيط للطبيب من فضلك
ʿayyeṭ l-ṭ-ṭbīb min faḍlek
Please call a doctor
Usage
To ask bystanders when someone is unwell.
Grammar Note
"ʿayyeṭ l-" means "call"; the form is the same for both genders. A sentence assembled from attested words.
دياريي
diyāriyī
Diarrhea
Usage
To name the symptom outright. In everyday speech "karshi tjri" (my belly runs) is more natural.
Grammar Note
A loanword from French diarrhée. Spelled "دياري" it is a different word, "homemade", so keep the final "يي".
كاكا
kāka
Poop
Usage
The soft word for poop, mainly said to or about children. Fine for describing a child's stool to a doctor.
Grammar Note
"ʿamal kāka" means "to poop". Between adults, "l-māʾ l-kbīr" (the big water) is also used.
لازمني نطير الماء الصغير
lāzemni nṭayyer l-māʾ ṣ-ṣghīr
I need to pee
Usage
To tell a companion or a child you need to pee. An ordinary, polite-enough way to say it.
Grammar Note
"ṭayyer l-māʾ ṣ-ṣghīr" (make the small water fly) means "to pee". Avoid the crude "bashwil".
لازمني نطير الماء الكبير
lāzemni nṭayyer l-māʾ l-kbīr
I need to poop
Usage
To tell a companion or a child you need to poop. An ordinary, polite-enough way to say it.
Grammar Note
"ṭayyer l-māʾ l-kbīr" (make the big water fly) means "to poop". With a child, "ʿamal kāka" is also said.
More Tunisian Arabic phrases
- Basic Words
- Basic Nouns
- Basic Verbs
- Adjectives
- Question Words
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