Visiting a Doctor: Basic Words and Phrases in Russian

Visiting a doctor is one of the most important conversation topics in Russian. When you are in a Russian-speaking environment and you suddenly experience any health issues, you will need to be able to correctly explain your symptoms, so that the doctor can prescribe appropriate treatment which will solve the problem. You will find the following basic words and phrases useful.

Basic words:

• Здоровье [zdo-ro-vye] health
• Боль [bol’j] pain
• Болезнь [bo-lezn’j] disease, illness, sickness
• Больной [bol’-noj] patient
• Заболеть [za-bo-let’] to become sick
• Лекарство [lye-kars-tvo] medicine
• Симптом [syim-ptom] symptom
• Приступ [pryi-stup] attack
• Жар [zhar] fever
• Тошнота [tosh-no-ta] nausea
• Насморк [nas-mork] rhinitis
• Чихание [chi-ha-ni-je] sneezing
• Кашель [kas-hel’] cough
• Воспаление [vo-spa-lye-ni-ye] inflammation
• Отравление [o-tra-vlye-ni-ye] poisoning
• Головокружение [go-lo-vo-kru-zhe-niye] dizziness
• Температура [tyem-pe-ra-tu-ra] temperature
• Озноб [oz-nob] shivering

Words denoting parts of a human body:

• Тело [tye-lo] body
• Орган [or-gan] organ
• Голова [go-lo-va] head
• Глаза [gla-za] eyes
• Нос [nos] nose
• Горло [gor-lo] throat
• Грудь [gru-dj] chest
• Желудок [zhe-lu-dok] stomach
• Живот [zhi-vot] belly
• Спина [spyi-na] back
• Рука [ru-ka] arm
• Плечо [plye-cho] shoulder
• Нога [no-ga] leg

Basic phrases:

• Заложен нос

[za-lo-zhen nos] blocked nose

• Боль в горле

[bol’ v gor-lye] sore throat

• Боль в животе

[bol’ v zhi-vo-tye] stomach ache

• Головная боль

[go-lov-na-ya bol’] headache

• Боль, отдающая в…

[bol’, ot-da-yu-scha-ya v…] pain radiating to.

• Испытывать боль

[is-pyi-tyi-vat’ bol’] to have/experience pain

• Жаловаться на

[zha-lo-vat-sya na] to complain about

• Я плохо себя чувствую

[Ya plo-kho sye-bya chuv-stvu-yu] I don’t feel well.

• Меня тошнит

[Me-nya tosh-nyit] I feel nauseous.

• У меня насморк и болит горло

[U me-nya nas-mork i bol-yit gor-lo] I have a runny nose and a sore throat.

• У меня температура и головная боль

[U me-nya tem-pye-ra-tu-ra i go-lov-na-ya bol’] I’ve got a fever and a headache.

• У меня сильная боль внизу живота

[U me-nya sil’-na-ya bol’ vnyi-zu zhi-vo-ta] I have a bad pain in the lower part of my stomach

• Я хотел бы что-нибудь от кашля

[Ya ho-tyel byi chto-nibud’ ot kash-lya] I’d like something for a cough.

• Мне нужно лекарство от простуды

[Mnye nuzh-no le-kar-stvo ot pros-tud-yi] I need a cold medicine.

• Как принимать это лекарство? [Kak pri-nyi-mat’ eto le-kar-stvo?] How do I take this medicine?

These were the majority of basic words and phrases. We hope you will rarely use them, and we wish you to stay healthy during the winter season.