Health & Hospital

1. මට හිසේ රිදෙනවා

   Ma-ta hi-sē ri-de-na-wā

   I have a headache

   Usage

   Used to describe a headache to a doctor or pharmacist

   Grammar Note

   Sinhala uses dative subject construction: "to me the head hurts". "Ridenawa" is the verb for pain/aching.

2. මට වමනය එනවා

   Ma-ta wa-ma-na-ya e-na-wā

   I feel nauseous

   Usage

   Used to describe nausea to a doctor or medical staff

   Grammar Note

   "Enawa" (to come) describes symptoms arriving. A typical Sinhala way to express physical symptoms using motion verbs.

3. මට උණ තියෙනවා

   Ma-ta u-ṇa thi-ye-na-wā

   I have a fever

   Usage

   Used to inform a doctor or others that you have a fever

   Grammar Note

   "Thiyenawa" is the colloquial verb for existence/having. Show a thermometer reading for clarity.

4. මට ඇලර්ජියක් තියෙනවා

   Ma-ta æ-lar-ji-yak thi-ye-na-wā

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Used to inform a doctor or staff about a food or medicine allergy

   Grammar Note

   The suffix "k" on "ælargiyak" is the indefinite marker. Add the allergen before it, e.g. "peanut ælargiyak".

5. ළඟම ඖෂධශාලාව කොහෙද?

   La-ṅa-ma au-sha-dha-shā-la-wa ko-he-da?

   Where is the nearest pharmacy?

   Usage

   Used when looking for the nearest pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   Adding "da" creates a question. In Sri Lanka, saying "pharmacy" in English is also widely understood.

6. වෛද්‍යවරයා ළඟ යන්න ඕනෑ

   Wai-dhya-wa-ra-yā la-ṅa yan-na ō-nǣ

   I need to see a doctor

   Usage

   Used when feeling unwell and needing medical attention

   Grammar Note

   "Ōnǣ" expresses necessity (need to). Widely used modal in everyday speech. "Doctor" in English is also understood.

7. ගිලන් රථය කැඳවන්න

   Gi-lan ra-tha-ya kæn-da-wan-na

   Please call an ambulance

   Usage

   Used in emergencies to request an ambulance. Sri Lanka emergency number: 110

   Grammar Note

   "Kændawanna" is the imperative form. The "-nna" suffix marks commands/requests. In emergencies "Udawa karan!" (Help!) is also effective.

8. මට දියවැඩියාව තියෙනවා

   Ma-ta di-ya-wæ-di-yā-wa thi-ye-na-wā

   I have diabetes

   Usage

   Used to inform doctors or emergency responders about a pre-existing condition

   Grammar Note

   "Diya" means water/liquid, "væḍiya" means excess. "Sugar problem" (English) is also widely understood in Sri Lanka.

9. ඉංග්‍රීසි කතා කරන වෛද්‍යවරයෙක් ඉන්නවාද?

   Ing-grī-si ka-thā ka-ra-na wai-dhya-wa-ra-yek in-na-wā-da?

   Is there a doctor who speaks English?

   Usage

   Used by foreigners at hospitals to find an English-speaking doctor

   Grammar Note

   English is a co-official language in Sri Lanka. Urban hospitals often have English-speaking doctors. "Da" at end = question marker.

10. මට බෙහෙත් වට්ටෝරුවක් දෙන්න පුළුවන්ද?

    Ma-ta be-het wat-tō-ru-wak den-na pu-lu-wan-da?

    Can you write me a prescription?

    Usage

    Politely requests a prescription from a doctor after examination

    Grammar Note

    "Puluwanda?" means "is it possible?". Showing a prescription at the pharmacy allows you to purchase medicine.

11. මම ගැබිනියි

    mama gæbiniyi

    I am pregnant

    Usage

    Decides whether medicine, X-rays, or anaesthesia are safe — show it before any examination or at the pharmacy. This is the spoken form; the literary word is ගර්භනී (garbhanī)

12. ඇදුම

    æduma

    Asthma

    Usage

    Point at this to tell a doctor or pharmacist you have asthma. Do not confuse with the similar-looking ඇඳුම (æn̆duma), which means "clothing"

13. බී.පී. එක වැඩියි

    bī.pī. eka væḍiyi

    I have high blood pressure

    Usage

    In Sri Lanka blood pressure is everyday-called "B.P."; this spoken wording is understood far more readily than the literary අධික රුධිර පීඩනය

14. හදවතේ ලෙඩක්

    hadavathē leḍak

    Heart disease

    Usage

    Spoken way to say you have a heart condition; documents use the literary හෘද රෝග (hṛda rōga)

15. අපස්මාරය

    apasmāraya

    Epilepsy

    Usage

    The word for epilepsy; in casual speech people also say ෆිට්ස් ("fits")

16. රක්ෂණය

    rakṣaṇaya

    Insurance

    Usage

    Show this at a hospital reception to raise travel insurance; the English word "insurance" also works

17. ඇටය කැඩිලා

    æṭaya kæḍilā

    The bone is broken

    Usage

    Spoken way to report a fracture — show it while pointing at the place that hurts

18. හුස්ම ගන්න අමාරුයි

    husma ganna amāruyi

    I have trouble breathing

    Usage

    Reports breathing difficulty — exactly the case where showing the screen beats speaking

19. ඔලුව කැරකෙනවා

    oluva kærakenavā

    I feel dizzy

    Usage

    Spoken way to report dizziness; literally "my head is spinning"

20. ලේ ගලනවා

    lē galanavā

    It is bleeding

    Usage

    Reports bleeding — show it while pointing at the bleeding place

21. පිච්චිලා

    picchilā

    Burn (injury)

    Usage

    Spoken form for "got burnt" — hot water, oil, or sun. Point at the burnt area while showing it

22. තුවාලය

    thuvālaya

    Wound / cut

    Usage

    Covers cuts, grazes, and open injuries generally; also useful when asking a pharmacy for antiseptic or plasters

23. කැස්ස

    kæssa

    Cough

    Usage

    The symptom word for a cough; at a pharmacy it gets you cough syrup

24. කසනවා

    kasanavā

    It itches

    Usage

    For itching from bites or a rash — show it while pointing at the itchy spot

25. පිපිලි

    pipili

    Rash

    Usage

    Everyday word for the red bumps of a rash — common for heat rash and insect bites in the tropics

26. බඩ යන්නේ නෑ

    baḍa yannē næ

    I am constipated

    Usage

    Spoken way to say you are constipated; easier at a pharmacy counter than the literary මලබද්ධය (malabaddhaya)

27. ඔසප් වීම

    osap vīma

    Period (menstruation)

    Usage

    The standard word for menstruation, understood at pharmacies and clinics; the everyday euphemism is මාසික දේ (māsika dē, "the monthly thing")

28. කන

    kana

    Ear

    Usage

    Point at this to show the ear is the problem; touch your own ear at the same time to remove any doubt

29. බෙල්ල

    bella

    Neck

    Usage

    For neck pain or a stiff neck; the inside of the throat is a different word, උගුර (ugura)

30. උරහිස

    urahisa

    Shoulder

    Usage

    For shoulder pain; also usable at a massage place

31. දණහිස

    daṇahisa

    Knee

    Usage

    For knee pain or injury — including the ache after long sitting at a temple

32. ඇඟිල්ල

    æn̆gilla

    Finger

    Usage

    The word covers toes as well as fingers, so point at the actual digit when you show it

33. සම

    sama

    Skin

    Usage

    For skin problems. The same spelling also means "equal/same", so point at the affected skin while showing it

34. නහය

    nahaya

    Nose

    Usage

    For a blocked nose or nosebleed; this is the spoken form, the written one being නාසය (nāsaya)

35. රුධිර වර්ගය

    rudhira vargaya

    Blood type

    Usage

    Asked before any transfusion or surgery; write your own group in Latin letters (O, A, B, AB) to be safe

36. රෝහල් ගත කිරීම

    rōhal gatha kirīma

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    Staying in hospital for treatment; also show it when checking whether your insurer has to be notified. "Kirīma" is the causative form, framing the hospital as the one admitting the patient (the patient's own viewpoint would be "rōhal gatha vīma")

37. සෙම්ප්‍රතිශ්‍යාව

    semprathishyāva

    A cold

    Usage

    Covers a runny nose and sore throat; show it at a pharmacy when asking for cold medicine

38. වෛද්‍යවරයෙකු කතා කරන්න

    vaidyavarayeku kathā karanna

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Ask a bystander to fetch a doctor when someone is suddenly ill or injured

    Grammar Note

    The same "call X" pattern as «ගිලන් රථයක් කැඳවන්න» ("call an ambulance"), with වෛද්‍යවරයෙකු (a doctor, «මට වෛද්‍යවරයෙකු අවශ්‍යයි») in the slot

39. මට මෙතන රිදෙනවා

    maṭa methana ridenavā

    It hurts here

    Usage

    Show it to a doctor while pointing at the spot; it works even when you cannot name the body part

    Grammar Note

    The same dative construction as «මට හිසේ රිදෙනවා» ("my head hurts"), with the body part replaced by මෙතන (here)

40. මට අසනීපයි

    maṭa asanīpayi

    I feel sick

    Usage

    The shortest way to tell a doctor or hotel staff that you are unwell

    Grammar Note

    අසනීප means unwell, ill or unhealthy; අසනීපය means illness, sickness or disease. The predicative -යි is the same adjective ending as in ("අමාරුයි") and ("මහන්සියි")

41. මට කිහිප වතාවක් වමනය ආවා

    maṭa kihipa vatāvak vamanaya āvā

    I have vomited several times

    Usage

    Tells a doctor how often you have vomited; for nausea alone use ("මට වමනය එනවා")

    Grammar Note

    Takes «මට වමනය එනවා» ("I feel like vomiting") and puts the verb into the past ආවා (as in "මම ආවා") while adding a count. කිහිප appears in «දින කිහිපයකට රථ කීයද?» ("for a few days") and වතාව in «එක් වතාවකට කීයද?» ("for one time")

42. මට විවේකයක් අවශ්‍යද?

    maṭa vivēkayak avaśyada?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Ask the doctor after an examination whether you may carry on as usual

    Grammar Note

    Takes the "මට ... අවශ්‍ය" frame of «මට වෛද්‍යවරයෙකු අවශ්‍යයි» ("I need a doctor"), fills it with විවේක from «විනාඩි පහක් විවේක ගෙන වතුර බොන්න.» ("take a rest"), and adds the question particle -ද as in ("කොහේද?")

43. පාචනය

    pācanaya

    Diarrhea

    Usage

    The word for diarrhea, for telling a doctor or pharmacist your symptom; the other word අතීසාරය is also used when asking for anti-diarrhea medicine

44. මලබද්ධය

    malabaddhaya

    Constipation

    Usage

    The medical, written word for constipation. In speech "බඩ යන්නේ නෑ" is easier to be understood, but this works as a word to show at a pharmacy or clinic

45. මල

    mala

    Poop

    Usage

    The plain, non-crude word for stool. Usable at a clinic; avoid the coarse ගූ. The same spelling also means "flower"

46. චූ

    cū

    Pee

    Usage

    The spoken word for "pee", suited to talk with children and companions. At the clinic or in formal talk, the written word මූත්‍ර (urine) is used

47. මට පාචනය තියෙනවා

    maṭa pācanaya tiyenavā

    I have diarrhea

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or pharmacist you have diarrhea

    Grammar Note

    Takes "මට උණ තියෙනවා" ("I have a fever") and swaps උණ for පාචනය ( "diarrhea"). The pattern states a symptom with "have"

48. මට චූ කරන්න ඕනෑ

    maṭa cū karanna ōnæ

    I need to pee

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to pee

    Grammar Note

    The same "infinitive + ඕනෑ" pattern as "යන්න ඕනෑ". "චූ කරනවා" is colloquial for "to pee"

49. මට මල පහ කරන්න ඕනෑ

    maṭa mala paha karanna ōnæ

    I need to poop

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to poop. It uses the phrase for "to defecate" and is not slang

    Grammar Note

    "මල පහ කරනවා" means to defecate. මල is spelled like "flower", but together with පහ කරනවා it means passing stool. The pattern is "infinitive + ඕනෑ", as in "යන්න ඕනෑ"

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