بطني بتوجعني
Baṭni bi-tiwgaʿni
I have a stomachache
Usage
Literally "my stomach hurts me". The same sentence works for men and women.
Grammar Note
"Baṭn" is feminine, so the verb is "bi-tiwgaʿ" (she hurts). Swap in other body parts, e.g. "dirāʿi bi-yiwgaʿni" (my arm hurts).
عندي حساسية من الفول السوداني
ʿAndi ḥassāsiyya min il-fūl is-sūdāni
I have a peanut allergy
Usage
It can be serious, so say it first when ordering food.
Grammar Note
"Ḥassāsiyya min + noun" means an allergy to something. "Il-fūl is-sūdāni" literally means "the Sudanese bean". A composed sentence built from regular parts.
عندك مسكن للوجع؟
ʿAndak musakkin lil-wagaʿ?
Do you have a painkiller?
Usage
For a pharmacist or companion. "ʿAndak" is spelled the same to a woman (she hears "ʿandik").
Grammar Note
Putting "ʿandak" first and a question mark makes "do you have...?". A composed sentence built from regular parts.
عندي سخونية عالية
ʿAndi sukhūniyya ʿāliya
I have a high fever
Usage
"Sukhūniyya" is the everyday word for fever; a thermometer reading helps.
Grammar Note
"Sukhūniyya" is feminine, so the adjective takes the feminine "ʿāliya". A composed sentence built from regular parts.
محتاج روشتة
Miḥtāg rushitta
I need a prescription
Usage
Said by a man; a woman says "miḥtāga rushitta".
Grammar Note
"Miḥtāg" is an adjective that agrees with the speaker (m. miḥtāg / f. miḥtāga).
حاسس بدوخة
Ḥāsis bi-dōkha
I feel dizzy
Usage
Said by a man; a woman says "ḥāsisa bi-dōkha".
Grammar Note
"Ḥāsis bi- + noun" means "I feel...". A composed sentence built from regular parts.
محتاج عربية اسعاف
Miḥtāg ʿarabiyyit isʿāf
I need an ambulance
Usage
In a real emergency just shout "isʿāf!". A woman says "miḥtāga".
Grammar Note
"ʿArabiyyit isʿāf" is a noun chain meaning "ambulance car". A composed sentence built from regular parts.
أنا حامل
Ana ḥāmil
I am pregnant
Usage
Said by a woman; tell a doctor or pharmacist before treatment or medicine.
Grammar Note
"Ḥāmil" is used only of women, so it has no separate masculine and feminine forms.
الربو
Ir-rabw
Asthma
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
"Il-" is the definite article; before the sun letter ر it becomes "ir-".
مرض السكر
Maraḍ is-sukkar
Diabetes
Usage
In everyday talk people just say "is-sukkar" (the sugar).
Grammar Note
"Maraḍ is-sukkar" is a noun chain, literally "the sugar disease".
ارتفاع ضغط الدم
Irtifāʿ ḍaghṭ id-damm
High blood pressure
Usage
In speech "iḍ-ḍaghṭ" alone is understood.
Grammar Note
A three-noun chain meaning "rise of blood pressure".
مرض القلب
Maraḍ il-ʾalb
Heart disease
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
"Maraḍ + noun" means a disease of something. The ق is pronounced as a glottal stop [ʔ].
الصرع
Iṣ-ṣarʿ
Epilepsy
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
The ص is a sun letter, so "il-" becomes "iṣ-".
التأمين الصحي
It-taʾmīn iṣ-ṣiḥḥi
Health insurance
Usage
"It-taʾmīn" alone is understood when talking about travel insurance.
Grammar Note
Noun then adjective; the adjective also takes the definite article.
كسر في العضم
Kasr fil-ʿaḍm
Bone fracture
Usage
The colloquial word for bone is "il-ʿaḍm" (standard Arabic il-ʿaẓm).
Grammar Note
"Kasr fi + body part" means a fracture in that part. A composed sentence built from regular parts.
ضيق التنفس
Ḍīʾ it-tanaffus
Difficulty breathing
Usage
This is urgent; if it is severe, ask for "isʿāf" (ambulance) right away.
Grammar Note
"Ḍīʾ + noun" means tightness of something; the ق is pronounced as [ʔ].
نزيف
Nazīf
Bleeding
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
حروق
Ḥurūʾ
Burn
Usage
The plural "ḥurūʾ" is the usual way to say burns.
Grammar Note
A single-noun card; the ق is pronounced as [ʔ].
جرح
Garḥ
Wound, cut
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
The ج is pronounced [g].
دوخة
Dōkha
Dizziness
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
ودن
Widn
Ear
Usage
Standard Arabic says "udhn"; Egyptian says "widn".
Grammar Note
An everyday form that differs from the standard-Arabic word.
رقبة
Raʾaba
Neck
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
The ق is pronounced as [ʔ].
كتف
Kitf
Shoulder
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
ركبة
Rukba
Knee
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
صباع
Ṣubāʿ
Finger, toe
Usage
The same word covers fingers and toes; to specify say "ṣubāʿ ir-rigl" (toe).
Grammar Note
The colloquial form of standard "iṣbaʿ"; the plural is "ṣawābiʿ".
جلد
Gild
Skin
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
The ج is pronounced [g].
دراع
Dirāʿ
Arm
Usage
Used as in "dirāʿi bi-yiwgaʿni" (my arm hurts).
Grammar Note
The colloquial form of standard "dhirāʿ" (ذ becomes د).
مناخير
Manakhīr
Nose
Usage
Colloquially the word is a plural-looking form that means "nose".
Grammar Note
The colloquial counterpart of standard "anf".
كحة
Kuḥḥa
Cough
Usage
Say "ʿandi kuḥḥa" (I have a cough).
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
حكة
Ḥikka
Itching
Usage
A word seen in medical descriptions; gestures help in conversation.
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
طفح جلدي
Ṭafḥ gildi
Rash
Usage
A medical term; pointing at the skin helps.
Grammar Note
Noun plus adjective ("gildi" means "of the skin").
امساك
Imsāk
Constipation
Usage
The word to use when asking a pharmacist for medicine.
Grammar Note
A single-noun card.
الدورة الشهرية
Id-dawra ish-shahriyya
Menstruation, period
Usage
A polite, medical way to say it.
Grammar Note
Noun plus adjective, both with the article; د and ش are sun letters.
فصيلة الدم
Faṣīlit id-damm
Blood type
Usage
You may be asked before a transfusion or treatment.
Grammar Note
In the noun chain, the first noun's -a ending becomes "-it".
دخول المستشفى
Dukhūl il-mustashfa
Hospital admission
Usage
A single-noun card; when describing symptoms, put it after "ʿandi" (I have).
Grammar Note
A noun chain meaning "entering the hospital".
قشعريرة
Ushaʿrīra
Chills
Usage
The shivering that comes with a fever.
Grammar Note
Close to the standard-Arabic word; the vowels vary a little.
نزلة برد
Nazlit bard
Common cold
Usage
You also hear "bākhud bard" (I catch a cold).
Grammar Note
A noun chain: "bout of cold".
لازم ارتاح؟
Lāzim artāḥ?
Do I need to rest?
Usage
A question for the doctor; the word order is the same as a statement.
Grammar Note
"Lāzim" plus the subjunctive means "must". A composed sentence built from regular parts.
كلم دكتور لو سمحت
Kallim duktōr law samaḥt
Please call a doctor
Usage
To a woman say "kallimi duktōr".
Grammar Note
"Kallim" is an imperative: kallimi to a woman, kallimu to several people.
اسهال
Ishāl
Diarrhea
Usage
The word for telling a doctor or pharmacist about the symptom; say "ʿandi ishāl" (I have diarrhea).
Grammar Note
A single-noun card. It is the same word as standard إسهال and is used unchanged as the symptom name in Egyptian speech.
براز
Barāz
Poop
Usage
The word for stool at a medical visit. No everyday child-talk word for "poop" could be confirmed, so this slightly clinical word is used.
Grammar Note
A single-noun card. With the article, "al-barāz" (the stool) is also used when describing a symptom.
بول
Bōl
Pee
Usage
The word for urine at a medical visit or test. No everyday child-talk word for "pee" could be confirmed, so this slightly clinical word is used.
Grammar Note
A single-noun card. With the article, "al-bōl" (the urine) is also used when describing a symptom.
عندي اسهال
ʿAndi ishāl
I have diarrhea
Usage
A sentence for telling a doctor or pharmacist your symptom. Men and women say it the same way.
Grammar Note
"Have" is expressed with ʿand plus a person ending, with no verb. "ʿandi" + symptom name states a symptom. A sentence built by the regular pattern.
عندي امساك
ʿAndi imsāk
I'm constipated
Usage
A sentence for telling a doctor or pharmacist your symptom. Men and women say it the same way.
Grammar Note
"Have" is expressed with ʿand plus a person ending, with no verb. Literally "I have constipation". A sentence built by the regular pattern.
عايز اتبول
ʿĀyiz atbawwil
I need to pee
Usage
The form a man says; a woman says "ʿāyiza atbawwil". The verb is somewhat formal, so pair it with "il-ḥammām fēn?" (where is the toilet?) when asking where to go.
Grammar Note
"ʿāyiz" + a subjunctive verb means "I want to …". "ʿāyiz" changes with the speaker's gender (m. ʿāyiz / f. ʿāyiza). A sentence built by the regular pattern.
عايز اتبرز
ʿĀyiz atbarriz
I need to poop
Usage
The form a man says; a woman says "ʿāyiza atbarriz". The verb is somewhat formal, so pair it with "il-ḥammām fēn?" (where is the toilet?) when asking where to go.
Grammar Note
"ʿāyiz" + a subjunctive verb means "I want to …". "ʿāyiz" changes with the speaker's gender (m. ʿāyiz / f. ʿāyiza). A sentence built by the regular pattern.
More Egyptian Arabic phrases
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