Health & Hospital

45 phrases · Hausa with romanization, English and audio

  1. Ina buƙatar likita

    I-na bu-ƙa-tar li-ki-ta

    I need a doctor

    Usage

    Requesting a doctor in an emergency or when feeling unwell

    Grammar Note

    "Ina buƙatar" is the continuous form of "buƙata" (need). "ƙ" is Hausa's ejective velar — a phoneme absent in English.

  2. Ina da ciwon kai

    I-na da ci-won kai

    I have a headache

    Usage

    Describing a headache to a doctor or pharmacist

    Grammar Note

    "Ciwo" (pain) plus a body part names a specific pain: ciwon kai = headache, ciwon ciki = stomachache. Possession is ina da, with the object following.

  3. Ina asibiti?

    I-na a-si-bi-ti?

    Where is the hospital?

    Usage

    Asking for the nearest hospital in an emergency

    Grammar Note

    "Asibiti" is borrowed from Arabic "isbitāliyya". Hausa borrowed many words from Arabic through centuries of Islamic influence.

  4. Ina da zazzaɓi sosai

    I-na da zaz-za-ɓi so-sai

    I have a very high fever

    Usage

    Telling a doctor you have a severe fever

    Grammar Note

    "ɓ" is Hausa's implosive bilabial. "Zazzaɓi" covers all fevers including malaria. Northern Nigeria has high malaria risk.

  5. Ina jin ciwon baya

    I-na jin ci-won ba-ya

    I have back pain

    Usage

    Describing back pain to a doctor

    Grammar Note

    "Ciwon baya" is ciwon (pain) + baya (back). Because ina is also the question word "where", the sentence needs the verb jin ("feeling") or it can be read as "where is the back pain?". "Mara" means the lower abdomen, so it is not used for back pain.

  6. Ina son maganin ciwon kai

    I-na son ma-ga-nin ci-won kai

    I would like medicine for a headache

    Usage

    Asking for headache medication at a pharmacy

    Grammar Note

    "Maganin" is the genitive/linking form of "magani" (medicine). Hausa nouns use a linking form in genitive constructions.

  7. Ba ni da lafiya

    Ba ni da la-fi-ya

    I am not feeling well

    Usage

    General expression for feeling unwell

    Grammar Note

    "Ba ni da lafiya" = "I don't have health" = I am unwell. The noun phrase "rashin lafiya" (illness) is also very common. A bare "ina" is avoided because it can be read as the question word "where".

  8. In je asibiti yanzu

    In je a-si-bi-ti yan-zu

    I need to go to the hospital now

    Usage

    Expressing urgency to get to a hospital immediately

    Grammar Note

    "In" is Hausa's subjunctive/obligation marker (should/ought to). "Yanzu" (now) indicates immediacy.

  9. Ina buƙatar allurar rigakafi

    I-na bu-ƙa-tar al-lu-rar ri-ga-ka-fi

    I need a vaccination

    Usage

    Requesting a vaccination at a clinic or hospital

    Grammar Note

    "Allurar rigakafi" = "injection for prevention" = vaccine. Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory for travel to Nigeria.

  10. Ka kira agajin gaggawa

    Ka ki-ra a-ga-jin gag-ga-wa

    Please call emergency services

    Usage

    Calling for emergency medical services

    Grammar Note

    "Gaggawa" means urgency/haste. Nigeria's emergency numbers include 112 (national) and 080-9990-9999 (Lagos).

  11. Ina da ciki

    I am pregnant

    Usage

    Standard way to say pregnant (lit. I have a belly). Critical before any medicine or X-ray

  12. Ciwon asma

    Asthma

    Usage

    Point to it to tell medical staff about your condition

  13. Ciwon suga

    Diabetes

    Usage

    Lit. sugar disease — the everyday Nigerian term

  14. Hawan jini

    High blood pressure

    Usage

    Lit. rising of the blood — the standard term

  15. Ciwon zuciya

    Heart disease

    Usage

    Point to it to report a heart condition

  16. Farfaɗiya

    Epilepsy

    Usage

    For reporting epilepsy, including to bystanders during a seizure

  17. Karaya

    Fracture

    Usage

    For a suspected fracture; point at the limb as you show it

  18. Ina fama da numfashi

    I have trouble breathing

    Usage

    When you cannot breathe well — showing it works when you cannot speak

  19. Ina jin juwa

    I feel dizzy

    Usage

    For dizziness or light-headedness

  20. Ina zubar da jini

    I am bleeding

    Usage

    For bleeding; point at the wound as you show it

  21. Ƙuna

    Burn

    Usage

    The word for a burn injury

  22. Rauni

    Wound, injury

    Usage

    The word for a wound or injury

  23. Tari

    Cough

    Usage

    The word for a cough

  24. Ƙaiƙayi

    Itching

    Usage

    For itching; point at the affected area

  25. Kurji

    Rash

    Usage

    The word for a rash or skin eruption

  26. Gudawa

    Diarrhea

    Usage

    The word for diarrhea; works at the pharmacy too

  27. Amai

    Vomiting

    Usage

    The word for vomiting

  28. Haila

    Menstruation

    Usage

    The clear word for menstruation; the euphemism al'ada also means custom

  29. Inshorar lafiya

    Health insurance

    Usage

    For indicating health insurance at a clinic

  30. Ina jin ciwo a nan

    It hurts here

    Usage

    Show it while pointing at the spot — no body-part word needed

  31. Rukunin jini

    Blood type

    Usage

    Point to this to give or be asked your blood type; show the letter (A, B, O) itself separately

  32. Takardar shaidar lafiya

    Medical certificate

    Usage

    Point to this when you need a doctor's certificate, for an insurance claim for example

  33. Kwance a asibiti

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    Point to this to ask whether you must be admitted; it literally means "lying in hospital"

  34. Mura

    Common cold

    Usage

    A cold with a blocked nose and sneezing

  35. Kira likita

    Ki-ra li-ki-ta

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Ask someone present to call a doctor when you cannot do it yourself

    Grammar Note

    The "Kira + whom to call" frame; here the party to call is "likita" (doctor).

  36. Jikina ya gaji

    Ji-ki-na ya ga-ji

    My body feels sluggish

    Usage

    Describe heaviness and lack of strength, as distinct from fever or pain

    Grammar Note

    "Jiki" (body) takes the first person possessive -na at the end. "Gaji" means "to be tired". The same spelling also means "to inherit", but that reading is impossible with "jiki" as the subject.

  37. Na yi amai sau da yawa

    Na yi a-mai sau da ya-wa

    I have vomited several times

    Usage

    Tell a doctor that you have vomited repeatedly

    Grammar Note

    "Amai" is vomiting, and "yi + noun" turns it into an action (yi amai = to vomit). "Sau da yawa" means "many times, often".

  38. Ina buƙatar hutu?

    I-na bu-ƙa-tar hu-tu?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Ask the doctor after an examination whether you should stay still or may move about

    Grammar Note

    "Ina buƙatar ...?" asks "do I need ...?"; here the needed thing is "hutu" (rest, holiday).

  39. Wahalar yin bahaya

    Constipation

    Usage

    A way to say constipation; literally "difficulty of defecating".

  40. Bahaya

    Poop

    Usage

    A mild word for stool; "yin bahaya" means to defecate. The coarser "kashi" is avoided

  41. Fitsari

    Pee

    Usage

    The common word for urine; "yin fitsari" means to urinate. Works with a doctor and with a child

  42. Ina da gudawa

    I-na da gu-da-wa

    I have diarrhea

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or a pharmacist that you have diarrhea

    Grammar Note

    "Ina da ..." is the "I have ..." frame; here it is followed by "gudawa" (diarrhoea). "Zawo" and "zawayi" are also used for diarrhoea.

  43. Ina da wahalar yin bahaya

    I-na da wa-ha-lar yin ba-ha-ya

    I'm constipated

    Usage

    Tell a doctor or a pharmacist that you are constipated; literally "I have difficulty defecating"

    Grammar Note

    "Ina da ..." is the "I have ..." frame, followed by "wahalar yin bahaya" (difficulty defecating). "Bahaya" is the milder word; the coarser "kashi" is avoided.

  44. Ina son yin fitsari

    I-na son yin fit-sa-ri

    I need to pee

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to pee

    Grammar Note

    "Ina son ..." is the "I want to ..." frame. "Yin fitsari" means to urinate.

  45. Ina son yin bahaya

    I-na son yin ba-ha-ya

    I need to poop

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to poop

    Grammar Note

    "Yin bahaya" means to defecate; "yin bayan gida" is also understood.

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