Health & Hospital

1. У меня болит голова

   U me-nya bo-lit go-lo-va

   I have a headache

   Usage

   Used to describe a headache to a doctor or pharmacist

   Grammar Note

   Russian pain: "У + genitive pronoun + болит + nominative noun". E.g. "живот" (stomach), "зуб" (tooth) follow the same pattern.

2. Вызовите скорую помощь, пожалуйста

   Vy-zo-vi-te sko-ru-yu po-moshch', po-zha-luy-sta

   Please call an ambulance

   Usage

   Used in medical emergencies to request an ambulance

   Grammar Note

   "Скорая помощь" literally means "quick help". Russian ambulance number is 103 (or 112). Speak clearly in emergencies.

3. Есть ли поблизости аптека?

   Yest' li po-bli-zo-sti ap-te-ka?

   Is there a pharmacy nearby?

   Usage

   Used to locate a nearby pharmacy when medicine is needed

   Grammar Note

   "Есть ли" is a formal question structure. Colloquially, "Где здесь аптека?" (Where's a pharmacy around here?) is more natural.

4. У меня аллергия на орехи

   U me-nya al-ler-gi-ya na o-re-khi

   I have a nut allergy

   Usage

   Used to inform a doctor or food service staff about a nut allergy

   Grammar Note

   "Аллергия на + accusative" expresses allergy to something. Replace "орехи" with "глютен" (gluten), "молоко" (milk), "рыба" (fish), etc.

5. Мне нужно к врачу

   Mne nu-zhno k vra-chu

   I need to see a doctor

   Usage

   Used to inform hotel staff or others that you need medical attention

   Grammar Note

   "к врачу" uses the dative case for direction. "врач" → dative "врачу". "Нужно" is an impersonal predicate with no gender/number agreement.

6. У меня высокая температура

   U me-nya vy-so-ka-ya tem-pe-ra-tu-ra

   I have a high fever

   Usage

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

   Grammar Note

   "Температура" covers both body temperature and air temperature. Add "38 градусов" (38 degrees) to specify your fever level.

7. Мне плохо, я чувствую тошноту

   Mne plo-kho, ya chuvst-vu-yu tosh-no-tu

   I feel sick and nauseous

   Usage

   Used to describe nausea and feeling unwell to a doctor or medical staff

   Grammar Note

   "Мне плохо" is an impersonal expression for feeling unwell. Past form: "меня тошнило" (I was nauseous).

8. Есть ли здесь врач, говорящий по-английски?

   Yest' li zdes' vrach, go-vo-rya-shchiy po ang-liy-ski?

   Is there a doctor here who speaks English?

   Usage

   Used by foreigners at Russian hospitals to ask for an English-speaking doctor

   Grammar Note

   "По-английски" is the adverbial language form. Same pattern: "по-русски" (in Russian), "по-японски" (in Japanese).

9. У меня диарея

   U me-nya di-a-re-ya

   I have diarrhea

   Usage

   Used to describe gastrointestinal symptoms to a doctor

   Grammar Note

   "У меня + noun (nominative)" expresses possession or presence of a symptom. "расстройство желудка" = upset stomach, also used.

10. Выпишите мне рецепт, пожалуйста

    Vy-pi-shi-te mne re-tsept, po-zha-luy-sta

    Please write me a prescription

    Usage

    Politely requests a prescription from a doctor after a medical examination

    Grammar Note

    "Выписать рецепт" = to write a prescription (medical term). Many medicines in Russia don't require one, but stronger drugs do.

11. Беременна

    Be-re-men-na

    Pregnant

    Usage

    Show this first at a clinic or pharmacy — it changes which medicines and X-rays are allowed

12. Астма

    Ast-ma

    Asthma

    Usage

    Tells a doctor or pharmacist you have asthma

13. Диабет

    Di-a-bet

    Diabetes

    Usage

    Tells staff you are diabetic; also useful for meal restrictions

14. Высокое давление

    Vy-so-ko-ye dav-le-ni-ye

    High blood pressure

    Usage

    Tells a doctor you have high blood pressure

15. Болезнь сердца

    Bo-lezn' serd-tsa

    Heart disease

    Usage

    Tells a doctor you have a heart condition, which affects prescriptions

16. Эпилепсия

    E-pi-lep-si-ya

    Epilepsy

    Usage

    Tells people you have epilepsy so they know how to react to a seizure

17. Страховка

    Stra-khov-ka

    Insurance

    Usage

    Show at reception when you want to use travel insurance

18. Перелом

    Pe-re-lom

    Bone fracture

    Usage

    Point at the injured spot while showing this to report a suspected fracture

19. Трудно дышать

    Trud-no dy-shat'

    Hard to breathe

    Usage

    Lets you report breathing trouble when you are too short of breath to speak

20. Головокружение

    Go-lo-vo-kru-zhe-ni-ye

    Dizziness

    Usage

    Reports dizziness to a doctor or pharmacist

21. Кровотечение

    Kro-vo-te-che-ni-ye

    Bleeding

    Usage

    Reports bleeding; point at the spot

22. Ожог

    O-zhog

    Burn

    Usage

    Ask for treatment for a burn

23. Рана

    Ra-na

    Wound

    Usage

    Ask for treatment for a cut or scrape

24. Ухо

    U-kho

    Ear

    Usage

    Point to report ear pain or trouble

25. Шея

    She-ya

    Neck

    Usage

    Point to report neck pain

26. Плечо

    Ple-cho

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point to report shoulder pain

27. Колено

    Ko-le-no

    Knee

    Usage

    Point to report knee pain

28. Палец

    Pa-lets

    Finger (also toe)

    Usage

    Russian "palets" covers both fingers and toes — point at the actual digit to be clear

29. Кожа

    Ko-zha

    Skin

    Usage

    Used when reporting a skin problem

30. Нос

    Nos

    Nose

    Usage

    Point to report a problem with your nose

31. Кашель

    Ka-shel'

    Cough

    Usage

    Report a cough at the pharmacy

32. Зуд

    Zud

    Itching

    Usage

    Reports itching; point at the affected area

33. Сыпь

    Syp'

    Rash

    Usage

    Reports a rash; show the affected skin

34. Запор

    Za-por

    Constipation

    Usage

    Ask for a laxative at the pharmacy; outside medical contexts the same word means a door bolt

35. Месячные

    Me-syach-ny-ye

    Period (menstruation)

    Usage

    The everyday Russian word (literally "monthlies"); more natural than the clinical "menstruatsiya"

36. Группа крови

    Grup-pa kro-vi

    Blood type

    Usage

    You will be asked this before a transfusion or an operation; show it together with a note of your own blood type

37. Медицинская справка

    Me-di-tsin-ska-ya sprav-ka

    Medical certificate

    Usage

    The certificate written out by the doctor who examined you, needed for insurance claims

38. Госпитализация

    Gos-pi-ta-li-za-tsi-ya

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    For checking whether you need to be admitted to hospital

39. Озноб

    Oz-nob

    Chills

    Usage

    The shivering chill that comes at the onset of a fever

40. Простуда

    Pro-stu-da

    Common cold

    Usage

    The common cold; influenza is named by a different word

41. Вызовите врача

    Vy-zo-vi-te vra-cha

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Asks someone present to call a doctor for a person taken ill

    Grammar Note

    Same frame as «Вызовите скорую помощь, пожалуйста» with the object swapped for "врач" (the word in «Мне нужно к врачу»). "врач" is animate masculine, so its accusative "врача" is identical to the genitive.

42. У меня слабость

    U me-nya sla-bost'

    My body feels sluggish

    Usage

    Tells a doctor that your body feels weak and heavy

    Grammar Note

    Same "У меня + symptom in the nominative" frame as "У меня высокая температура"; Russian normally states symptoms with this possessive construction.

43. Меня рвало несколько раз

    Me-nya rva-lo ne-skol'-ko raz

    I have vomited several times

    Usage

    Tells a doctor that you have vomited more than once

    Grammar Note

    The "Меня …" frame is that of «Меня обокрали!»; the person vomiting stands in the accusative in this impersonal construction. Repetition calls for the imperfective "рвало"; the perfective "вырвало" would mean a single episode.

44. Мне нужен постельный режим?

    Mne nu-zhen po-stel'-nyy re-zhim?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Asks the doctor after an examination whether you must stay in bed

    Grammar Note

    Same frame as "Мне нужен номер …"; "нужен" is the masculine form agreeing with "режим". The question keeps the same word order and is marked by rising intonation.

45. Диарея

    Di-a-re-ya

    Diarrhea

    Usage

    Lets you report the symptom without saying a sentence; understood as-is at a pharmacy or clinic

46. Какашка

    Ka-kash-ka

    Poop

    Usage

    Colloquial; the everyday word to use with small children. The plural is "какашки". With a doctor or adults, "кал" is safer

47. Моча

    Mo-cha

    Pee

    Usage

    The neutral word for urine, used both medically and in daily speech; show it at a clinic when talking about urine.

48. У меня запор

    U me-nya za-por

    I'm constipated

    Usage

    To tell a doctor or pharmacist that you are constipated

    Grammar Note

    The same "у меня + noun (nominative)" pattern as "У меня диарея". The bare noun is "Запор". Outside medical contexts "запор" can also mean a door bolt.

49. Я хочу пописать

    Ya kho-chu po-pi-sat'

    I need to pee

    Usage

    To tell a companion or a child that you need to pee

    Grammar Note

    "пописать" is colloquial, "to urinate". The synonym "поссать" is marked coarse (груб.) and is avoided.

50. Я хочу покакать

    Ya kho-chu po-ka-kat'

    I need to poop

    Usage

    To tell a child or family member that you need to poop. Between adults, "Мне нужно в туалет" (I need the toilet) sounds more natural

    Grammar Note

    "покакать" is children's language (детск.), "to defecate". The synonym "посрать" is marked coarse (груб.) and is avoided. The noun is "Какашка".

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