Health & Hospital

1. Ọ dị m ọjọọ

   oh dee m oh-JOH-oh

   I am not well / I feel bad

   Usage

   Basic phrase for expressing illness. First thing to say to a doctor or pharmacist

   Grammar Note

   "Ọ dị m ọjọọ" literally means "it is bad for me" → "I feel bad/unwell." "M" attaches after "dị" as an indirect object. "Ọjọọ" is the basic adjective for "bad."

2. Isi m na-awa m

   EE-see m nah-AH-wah m

   I have a headache / My head hurts

   Usage

   Expressing a headache. "Awa" means "to pain/cut"

   Grammar Note

   Igbo uses a "body part hurts person" construction for pain: "isi (head) + na-awa (is paining) + m (me)." The body part is the grammatical subject.

3. Achọrọ m ọgwụ

   ah-CHOH-roh m OH-gwoh

   I need medicine

   Usage

   Requesting medicine. Useful at pharmacies and clinics

   Grammar Note

   "Ọgwụ" is the Igbo word for medicine. Put a noun after "Achọrọ m" to say "I need ...".

4. Ụlọ ọgwụ dị ebee?

   OO-loh OH-gwoh dee EH-beh

   Where is the hospital?

   Usage

   Emergency phrase asking for the location of a hospital

   Grammar Note

   "Ụlọ ọgwụ" (house of medicine) is the compound noun for hospital/clinic. Igbo compound nouns follow N+N structure: "ụlọ (house) + ọgwụ (medicine)."

5. Enwere m afọọsịsa

   e-nwe-re m a-fọ-ọ-sị-sa

   I have diarrhea / My stomach is running

   Usage

   Describing diarrhea. "Afọọsịsa" is the noun for diarrhea

   Grammar Note

   "Enwere m ..." means "I have ...", with the symptom noun placed after it. Here the noun is "afọọsịsa" (diarrhea).

6. Ọ na-eme m ọgbụgbọ

   oh nah-EH-meh m OH-gboo-gboh

   I feel nauseous / I feel dizzy

   Usage

   Describing nausea or dizziness

   Grammar Note

   "Ọ na-eme m" (it is doing to me) follows the Igbo pattern where a symptom affects the person as its object. This "symptom acts on person" structure is typical in Igbo health language.

7. Enwere m ahụ ọkụ

   eh-NWEH-reh m ah-HOO OH-koo

   I have a fever

   Usage

   Saying you have a fever. "Ọkụ" means "fire/heat"

   Grammar Note

   "Ahụ ọkụ" literally means "body heat (fire)" and expresses fever. "Enwere m" means "I have ...".

8. Nwanne m, biko nyere m aka

   n-WAH-neh m, BEE-koh NYEH-reh m AH-kah

   My friend / sibling, please help me

   Usage

   Asking for urgent help from someone nearby. "Nwanne" is a kinship term also used as a friendly address

   Grammar Note

   "Nyere m aka" literally means "give me a hand" — a body-based idiom for help unique to Igbo.

9. E nwere m ọrịa ụfọdụ

   eh n-WEH-reh m oh-REE-ah oo-FOH-doo

   I have some kind of illness

   Usage

   Used when you can't name the specific illness when talking to a doctor

   Grammar Note

   "E nwere m" (I have/possess) uses "nwere" in its perfect aspect. "Ọrịa" is the general Igbo word for illness/disease. Combined as "ọrịa ọjọọ" (bad illness) or "ọrịa malaria." Note that "bad" is ọjọọ, not ọjị (which means kola nut).

10. Ka m hụ dọkịta

    kah m hoo doh-KIT-ah

    Let me see a doctor / I need to see a doctor

    Usage

    Requesting to see a doctor. "Dọkịta" is a loanword from English "doctor"

    Grammar Note

    "Ka m" (let me / I should) is an Igbo subjunctive construction expressing desire or intention. "Dọkịta" is a loanword reflecting Nigerian English pronunciation of "doctor."

11. Dị ime

    Pregnant

    Usage

    Decides what medicine or X-ray is safe — show it first at a clinic or pharmacy

12. Ọrịa shuga

    Diabetes

    Usage

    Declaring a chronic condition. Literally "sugar disease", the everyday Igbo term

13. Ọrịa obi

    Heart condition

    Usage

    Declaring a heart condition. "Obi" alone can also mean mind or homestead, so always pair it with "ọrịa" (illness)

14. Ahụ ọkụ

    Fever

    Usage

    One word for having a temperature — literally "body hot"

15. Ụkwara

    Cough

    Usage

    The symptom word for a cough, also used when asking a pharmacy for cough medicine

16. Mgbu

    Pain

    Usage

    Show it while pointing at the spot — pair it with the body-part cards

17. Ọbara

    Blood

    Usage

    The base word for anything about blood — tests, transfusion, bleeding

18. Ọbara na-agba

    It is bleeding

    Usage

    Says blood is flowing — show it while pointing at the wound

19. Ọnya

    Wound / sore

    Usage

    Covers cuts, grazes and infected sores

20. Ọgbụgbọ

    Vomiting / nausea

    Usage

    One word for having vomited or feeling about to

21. Enweghị m ike iku ume

    I cannot breathe properly

    Usage

    For breathing trouble — the moment when showing a screen beats speaking

22. Ọkpụkpụ gbajiri agbaji

    A broken bone

    Usage

    Says a bone is broken — point at the place as you show it

23. Ụdị ọbara

    Blood type

    Usage

    To give your blood type or ask for one. Literally "kind of blood"

24. Oyi

    Chills

    Usage

    To say you feel cold and shivery; the same word covers cold weather, so point at yourself as you show it

25. Azụzụ

    Common cold

    Usage

    To report cold symptoms; in Nigerian English this is what "catarrh" refers to

26. Asambodo ahụike

    Medical certificate

    Usage

    To ask for a certificate for your insurer or employer. Literally "health certificate"

27. Nabata n'ụlọ ọgwụ

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    To check whether you need to be admitted. Literally "admit into hospital"

28. Kpọọ dọkịta!

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Ask a bystander to call a doctor for a sudden illness or injury

29. Ọ na-awa m ebe a.

    It hurts here

    Usage

    Point at the spot while telling medical staff where it hurts

30. Ọ dị m mkpa izu ike?

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Check with the doctor after an examination whether you need to rest

31. Afọọsịsa

    Diarrhea

    Usage

    Names the symptom in one word. Show it to a doctor or pharmacist. The word also covers dysentery

32. Nsị

    Poop

    Usage

    The word for faeces, usable with a doctor or a child. Without the dot, nsi means "poison", a different word

33. Maamịrị

    Pee

    Usage

    The word for urine, usable with a doctor or a child

34. Achọrọ m ịnyụ maamịrị

    I need to pee

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need the toilet

    Grammar Note

    "Achọrọ m" is followed by an infinitive (the form starting with ị-). "Ịnyụ maamịrị" is the infinitive of "nyụ maamịrị" (pass urine).

35. Achọrọ m ịnyụ nsị

    I need to poop

    Usage

    Tell a companion or a child that you need to have a bowel movement

    Grammar Note

    "Achọrọ m" is followed by an infinitive. "Ịnyụ nsị" is the infinitive of "nyụ nsị" (defecate).

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