A2Unit 7 · Health, shopping and plans · Lesson 61 of 100
The body and feeling ill
rāsi būjaʿ · ana ʿayyān · salāmtak!
Goal: Say which part of your body hurts, say that you are ill or have a fever, and wish someone a quick recovery.
Dialogue
Spring has come, but Sam arrives at the language school with a cold. You will learn the parts of the body, how to say "my head hurts" and "I am ill", and what to say to someone who is ill.
Monday morning at the language school. Sam comes in looking pale.
- Linaṣabāḥ il-khēr, ya Sām! shu fīk? inte taʿbān?Good morning, Sam! What's wrong? Are you tired?
- Samana ʿayyān, ya Līna. rāsi būjaʿ ktīr.I'm ill, Lina. My head hurts a lot.
- Linasalāmtak! ʿindak ḥarāra?Get well soon! Do you have a fever?
- Samalla ysallmik. ā, shwayy. w ḥalʾi būjaʿ kamān.Thank you. Yes, a little. And my throat hurts too.
- Linashiklo rashḥ.It looks like a cold.
- Samā. mbāreḥ id-dinya kānat bard, w ana ʾaʿadt barra maʿ aṣḥābi.Yes. Yesterday it was cold, and I sat outside with my friends.
- Linaw baṭnak?And your stomach?
- Sambaṭni mnīḥ, bass ḍahri būjaʿ, w ʿyūni ḥamra.My stomach is fine, but my back hurts, and my eyes are red.
- Linaḥarām! lāzim trūḥ ʿal-bēt w tnām.Poor thing! You must go home and sleep.
- Sambass ʿindi dars is-sāʿa tisʿa!But I have a class at nine!
- Linamaʿlēsh, ana baʿallem ṣaffak il-yōm. yalla, rūḥ, w ishrab shāy maʿ maramiyye!Never mind, I'll teach your class today. Go on, go, and drink some sage tea!
- Samshukran, ya Līna. inti laṭīfe ktīr.Thank you, Lina. You're very kind.
New words
| Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|
| rās | headplural rūs; rāsi būjaʿ = my head hurts |
| baṭn | belly, stomachplural bṭūn |
| ḍahr | back (of the body) |
| sinn | toothplural snān; snāni = my teeth |
| ʿēn | eyefeminine; plural ʿyūn; ʿyūni = my eyes |
| īd | hand; armfeminine; dual īdēn |
| ijr | leg; footfeminine; plural ijrēn |
| ḥalʾ | throat |
| ḥarāra | temperature; fever; heatʿindo ḥarāra = he has a fever |
| ʿayyān | ill, sickfeminine ʿayyāne, plural ʿayyānīn |
| wajaʿ | pain, acheplural awjāʿ; wajaʿ rās = a headache |
| wijiʿ | to hurt, achewijiʿ / yūjaʿ; būjaʿ = it hurts (m), btūjaʿ = it hurts (f) |
| salāmtak | get well soon (to a man)to a woman: salāmtik; about her: salāmitha; reply: alla ysallmak / alla ysallmik |
| rashḥ | a coldʿindi rashḥ = I have a cold |
Grammar
1. "My head hurts"
Say the part of the body with "my" (-i), then būjaʿ "it hurts". Most parts of the body are masculine and take būjaʿ. Three parts that come in pairs are feminine: ʿēn "eye", īd "hand" and ijr "leg". They take btūjaʿ, with the t of "she". Plural things also take btūjaʿ.
| Part of the body | Palestinian Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
| head (m) | rāsi būjaʿ. | My head hurts. |
| back (m) | ḍahri būjaʿ. | My back hurts. |
| throat (m) | ḥalʾi būjaʿ. | My throat hurts. |
| hand (f) | īdi btūjaʿ. | My hand hurts. |
| leg (f) | ijri btūjaʿ. | My leg hurts. |
| teeth (pl) | snāni btūjaʿ. | My teeth hurt. |
For other people, change the ending: rāsak (your, to a man), rāsik (your, to a woman), rāso (his), rāsha (her).
2. Ill, a fever, a cold
ʿayyān "ill" agrees like any adjective: ʿayyān (m), ʿayyāne (f), ʿayyānīn (pl). For a fever or a cold, use ʿind- "to have": ʿindi ḥarāra "I have a fever", ʿindo rashḥ "he has a cold".
3. Get well soon
To someone who is ill, say salāmtak (to a man) or salāmtik (to a woman). About a woman who is not there: salāmitha. The answer is alla ysallmak to a man, alla ysallmik to a woman.
Practice
1Choose the right answer
Your head hurts. You say:
-i is "my", and rās is masculine, so it takes būjaʿ.
Rana tells you she is ill. She says:
Sam tells you he is ill. You answer:
alla ysallmak is the reply to salāmtak, not the wish.
Which sentence means "She has a fever"?
2Complete the sentence
ijri ___. = My leg hurts.
ijr is feminine, like ʿēn and īd.
___ būjaʿ. = My back hurts.
ʿyūni ___. = My eyes hurt.
Plural things take btūjaʿ.
Sām ___. = Sam is ill.
ʿindi ___. = I have a cold.
3Match the Arabic and the English
rās
baṭn
sinn
ʿēn
īd
ḥalʾ
4Put the words in order
My head hurts a lot.
You must go home and sleep. (to a man)
5Say it in Palestinian Arabic, then check
Get well soon! (to a woman)
salāmtik!
My hand hurts.
īdi btūjaʿ.
6True or false?
Sam's stomach hurts.
Sam says baṭni mnīḥ.
Lina will teach Sam's class today.
Summary
- You can name parts of the body: rās, baṭn, ḍahr, ḥalʾ, ʿēn, īd, ijr, sinn.
- You can say what hurts: rāsi būjaʿ, īdi btūjaʿ.
- You can say that you are ill or have a fever or a cold: ana ʿayyān, ʿindi ḥarāra, ʿindi rashḥ.
- You can wish someone a quick recovery, salāmtak! or salāmtik!, and answer it.