Body Parts

1. ඔලුව

   oluva

   Head

   Usage

   Point here for pain. This is the colloquial form; the written word is "hisa"

2. කොණ්ඩය

   koṇḍaya

   Hair

   Usage

   The colloquial word for hair on the head — use it at a barber. The written form is "hisakes"

3. මූණ

   mūṇa

   Face

   Usage

   The colloquial word for the face — the written form is "muhuṇa"

4. ඇහැ

   æhæ

   Eye

   Usage

   The colloquial form for eye trouble. The written singular and plural are "æsa" and "æs"

5. කන

   kana

   Ear

   Usage

   For earache or trouble hearing

6. නහය

   nahaya

   Nose

   Usage

   For a blocked nose or a nosebleed

7. කට

   kaṭa

   Mouth

   Usage

   The mouth — also the word for the burn a hot curry leaves

8. තොල්

   thol

   Lips

   Usage

   The lips — for chapped lips or when hunting for lip balm

9. දත

   datha

   Tooth

   Usage

   For toothache. The plural is "dath"

10. දිව

    diva

    Tongue

    Usage

    The tongue — for a burn or loss of taste

11. බෙල්ල

    bella

    Neck

    Usage

    The outside of the neck. The throat itself is "ugura"

12. උගුර

    ugura

    Throat

    Usage

    For a sore throat — the outer neck is the separate word "bella"

13. උරහිස

    urahisa

    Shoulder

    Usage

    The shoulder — also the word for telling an Ayurveda therapist where you are knotted up

14. අත

    atha

    Hand / arm

    Usage

    "Atha" covers both hand and arm — everyday Sinhala has no separate word for just the arm. Point at the exact spot

15. වැළමිට

    væḷamiṭa

    Elbow

    Usage

    The elbow — useful for describing a scrape after a fall

16. ඇඟිල්ල

    æn̆gilla

    Finger

    Usage

    A finger. A toe is "kakulē æn̆gilla"

17. නියපොත්ත

    niyapoththa

    Nail

    Usage

    Finger- and toenails — for a nail salon or reporting an injury

18. පපුව

    papuva

    Chest

    Usage

    The rib-cage area — for chest pain or breathlessness. The breast is a different word, so there is no awkwardness

19. බඩ

    baḍa

    Stomach / belly

    Usage

    For stomach pain and diarrhoea — the body word travellers use most

20. පිට

    piṭa

    Back

    Usage

    The back. The same word also means "outside / other", so gesture at your own back as you show it

21. කොන්ද

    konda

    Waist / lower back

    Usage

    The spine and lower back — the word you reach for after a long bus ride

22. උකුල

    ukula

    Hip

    Usage

    The hip area — use it to show a doctor where you landed after a fall

23. කකුල

    kakula

    Leg / foot

    Usage

    Sinhala "kakula" covers both leg and foot — point at the exact spot to narrow it down

24. දණහිස

    daṇahisa

    Knee

    Usage

    The knee — the word for the ache after the stairs at Sigiriya or Adam's Peak

25. පාදය

    pādaya

    Foot

    Usage

    The foot itself. You walk temples barefoot here, so it comes up for burns on hot stone and cuts

26. වළලුකර

    vaḷalukara

    Ankle

    Usage

    The ankle — the word for a sprain

27. කකුලේ ඇඟිල්ල

    kakulē æn̆gilla

    Toe

    Usage

    "Kakulē" (of the foot) + "æn̆gilla" (digit) — easy to stub while walking temples barefoot

28. සම

    sama

    Skin

    Usage

    The skin — for sunburn, insect bites and rashes

29. ඇටය

    æṭaya

    Bone

    Usage

    Bone. "Æṭaya kæḍilā" means a broken bone

30. ලේ

    lē

    Blood

    Usage

    Blood. "Lē galanavā" means bleeding

31. හදවත

    hadavatha

    Heart

    Usage

    The heart. "Hadavathē leḍak" means a heart condition

32. ආමාශය

    āmāshaya

    Stomach (organ)

    Usage

    The medical word for the stomach as an organ — "baḍa" is the visible belly

33. බඩවැල්

    baḍavæl

    Intestines

    Usage

    The intestines — show it when explaining diarrhoea or food poisoning

34. පෙනහල්ල

    penahalla

    Lung

    Usage

    The lungs — for asthma or breathlessness

35. අක්මාව

    akmāva

    Liver

    Usage

    The liver — for hepatitis vaccination or explaining a condition

36. වකුගඩුව

    vakugaḍuva

    Kidney

    Usage

    The kidney — for explaining a condition or your medication

37. මොළය

    moḷaya

    Brain

    Usage

    The brain — for a head injury or explaining a scan

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