Hausa Health and Body Vocabulary for Visiting a Clinic
Body parts, symptoms and phrases in Hausa to help you describe how you feel, talk to a doctor or pharmacist and wish others well.
Being able to say what hurts is one of the most useful skills you can have in any language. Here is a practical set of Hausa health vocabulary.
Body parts
| Hausa | Meaning |
|---|---|
| jiki | body |
| kai | head |
| ido | eye |
| kunne | ear |
| hanci | nose |
| baki | mouth |
| haƙori | tooth |
| wuya | neck |
| hannu | hand, arm |
| ciki | stomach, belly |
| baya | back |
| ƙafa | leg, foot |
| zuciya | heart |
| gashi | hair |
Saying something hurts
Hausa commonly says "X is paining me":
- Kaina yana ciwo. — My head hurts.
- Cikina yana ciwo. — My stomach hurts.
- Bayana yana ciwo. — My back hurts.
- Ƙafata tana ciwo. — My leg hurts.
Notice the possessive ending: kai becomes kaina (my head), ciki becomes cikina (my stomach). Feminine nouns use -ta, as in ƙafata (my leg).
Illness and symptoms
- rashin lafiya — illness
- zazzaɓi — fever
- tari — cough
- ciwon kai — headache
- ciwon ciki — stomach ache
- mura — cold, flu
- gajiya — tiredness
At the clinic
- likita — doctor
- nas — nurse
- asibiti — hospital
- magani — medicine
- allura — injection
Useful sentences:
- Ban da lafiya. — I'm not well.
- Ina da zazzaɓi. — I have a fever.
- Ina buƙatar likita. — I need a doctor.
- Ina so in je asibiti. — I want to go to the hospital.
- Na sha magani. — I've taken medicine.
Wishing someone well
Hausa has warm phrases for the sick:
- Sannu. — A general expression of sympathy and encouragement.
- Allah ya ba ka lafiya. — May God give you health. (to a man)
- Allah ya sauwaƙe. — May God ease it.
Emergency phrases
- Taimako! — Help!
- Ina buƙatar taimako. — I need help.
Learning tips
- Learn body parts first.
- Practise "X hurts" with several body parts.
- Learn the wishing-well phrases for friends.
- Keep vocabulary handy when travelling.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting to change the possessive ending.
- Using sannu only as a greeting; it also expresses sympathy.
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