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At the pharmacy: how to say what hurts

Short Egyptian Arabic phrases for the pharmacy: what hurts, what you need, what the pharmacist will tell you.

Egyptian towns have pharmacies on almost every street, and the pharmacist will often suggest what to take. Your job is simple: explain what's wrong. If you need a specific medicine, show the name written down. That works better than saying it.

What hurts

"It hurts" is 3andi waga3. Then point or name the place.

• ras — head
• batn — stomach
• ders — tooth
• zoor — throat

A cough and a cold have their own phrases: 3andi ko77a, "I have a cough", 3andi bard, "I've caught a cold".

What to ask for

• fi 7aga lel soda3? — do you have something for a headache?
• da mish me7tag roshetta? — does this need a prescription?

If you have an allergy, say so straight away: 3andi 7asaseyya men da, "I'm allergic to this".

What you'll hear

The pharmacist will explain how to take it, for example 7abbaya ba3d el akl, "one tablet after meals". Or you'll hear da me7tag roshetta: this one needs a prescription.

If the pain is bad or won't go away, you need a doctor, not a pharmacy: me7tag doktor.

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