Italian Health and Pharmacy Vocabulary
How to describe symptoms, visit a pharmacy and call for help in Italian, with the key words for body parts and common ailments.
Being able to say what is wrong is one of the most useful skills for any traveller or resident.
Body parts
| English | Italian |
|---|---|
| head | la testa |
| eye | l'occhio (pl. gli occhi) |
| ear | l'orecchio |
| throat | la gola |
| stomach | lo stomaco |
| back | la schiena |
| arm | il braccio (pl. le braccia) |
| hand | la mano (pl. le mani) |
| leg | la gamba |
| foot | il piede |
| tooth | il dente |
Saying what hurts
Italian uses avere mal di + body part, or mi fa male + body part:
- Ho mal di testa. — I have a headache.
- Ho mal di gola. — I have a sore throat.
- Ho mal di stomaco. — I have a stomach ache.
- Ho mal di denti. — I have toothache.
- Mi fa male la schiena. — My back hurts.
- Mi fanno male i piedi. — My feet hurt.
Common ailments
- la febbre — fever
- il raffreddore — a cold
- la tosse — cough
- l'influenza — flu
- l'allergia — allergy
- la nausea — nausea
At the pharmacy
The farmacia is marked by a green cross. Pharmacists give advice on minor ailments:
- Ho bisogno di qualcosa per il raffreddore. — I need something for a cold.
- Ha qualcosa per il mal di testa? — Do you have something for a headache?
- È necessaria la ricetta? — Do I need a prescription?
- Quante volte al giorno? — How many times a day?
At the doctor
- Il medico, il dottore — the doctor
- L'ospedale — the hospital
- Il pronto soccorso — the emergency room
- Vorrei prendere un appuntamento. — I'd like to make an appointment.
- Sono allergico / allergica a ... — I'm allergic to ...
Emergencies
- Aiuto! — Help!
- Chiami un'ambulanza! — Call an ambulance!
- 112 — the European emergency number, which works in Italy.
Tips
- Learn "ho mal di ..." for common pains.
- Learn the irregular plurals (le braccia, le mani).
- Use the dictionary for specific terms.
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