Language/Portuguese/Vocabulary/Health

Portuguese Vocabulary - Health

Hi Portuguese learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about health-related vocabulary in Portuguese. Health is a very important topic and it's crucial to know the right words to describe your symptoms and ask for help. Here, you will also find cultural information and interesting facts related to health in Brazil. Let's get started!

Consider broadening your understanding by checking out these related lessons: Animal Sounds & Hospital.

General Vocabulary

Let's start with some general vocabulary related to health:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Saúde	/saw-de/	Health
Bem-estar	/bem-is-tar/	Well-being
Doença	/do-ein-sa/	Illness
Sintoma	/sin-to-ma/	Symptom
Ferida	/fe-ree-da/	Wound, injury
Acidente	/a-ci-den-te/	Accident
Lesão	/le-sao/	Injury

Here are some examples of how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Estou com dor de cabeça e febre. (I have a headache and fever)
• Person 2: Você pode estar com sintomas de gripe. (You might have flu symptoms)
• Person 1: Ontem eu caí e machuquei o braço. (Yesterday I fell and hurt my arm)
• Person 2: Vamos ver se é uma lesão grave. (Let's see if it's a serious injury)

It's important to know that in Brazil, public healthcare is provided by the Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS), which guarantees free access to everyone. However, private healthcare also exists and it's usually of better quality.

Medical Professionals

To communicate efficiently with medical professionals, you must know the right terms to refer to them. Here are some of the most common ones:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Médico	/me-di-co/	Doctor
Enfermeiro	/en-fer-me-i-ro/	Nurse
Dentista	/den-tis-ta/	Dentist
Farmacêutico	/far-ma-ce-u-ti-co/	Pharmacist

Here is an example of how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Preciso marcar uma consulta com o meu médico. (I need to schedule an appointment with my doctor)
• Person 2: O dentista está na sala ao lado. (The dentist is in the next room)

If you need to describe your medical condition, you can use the verb "sentir" (to feel) and some adjectives like "mal" (bad), "fraco" (weak), "cansado" (tired), etc. For instance:

• Person 1: Eu me sinto mal. (I feel sick)
• Person 2: Você está com sintomas de gripe? (Do you have flu symptoms?)

Parts of the Body

Being able to name the parts of your body is essential when visiting a doctor. Here are some of the most common ones in Portuguese:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Cabeça	/ca-be-sa/	Head
Braço	/bra-so/	Arm
Dedo	/de-do/	Finger
Perna	/per-na/	Leg
Pé	/pe/	Foot
Olho	/o-lho/	Eye
Orelha	/o-re-lha/	Ear
Barriga	/ba-ri-ga/	Stomach

Here is an example of how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Sinto muita dor no meu braço. (I have a lot of pain in my arm)
• Person 2: Vamos ver se não é uma lesão grave. (Let's see if it's not a serious injury)

Illnesses and Conditions

Let's see some common illnesses and medical conditions in Portuguese:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Gripe	/gri-pe/	Flu
Resfriado	/res-fri-a-do/	Cold
Febre	/fe-bre/	Fever
Diarreia	/di-a-rrei-a/	Diarrhea
Dor de cabeça	/dor de ca-be-ça/	Headache
Dor nas costas	/dor nas cos-tas/	Back pain
Alergia	/a-ler-gi-a/	Allergy
Asma	/as-ma/	Asthma

Here is an example of how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Estou com uma tosse constante e falta de ar. (I have a constant cough and shortness of breath)
• Person 2: Isso pode ser um sintoma de asma. (That could be a symptom of asthma)

It's worth noting that Brazil is a country where tropical diseases such as dengue fever and zika virus are common, especially in the summer. Be sure to take proper precautions if traveling to Brazil during this time of the year.

Medications

If you need to buy some medication, it's important to know the right names in Portuguese. Here are some of the most common ones:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Analgésico	/a-nal-ge-zi-co/	Painkiller
Antibiótico	/an-ti-bi-o-ti-co/	Antibiotic
Anti-inflamatório	/an-ti-in-fla-ma-tó-rio/	Anti-inflammatory
Antialérgico	/an-ti-a-lér-gi-co/	Antiallergic

Here is an example of how to use these words in context:

• Person 1: Preciso comprar um analgésico para minha dor de cabeça. (I need to buy a painkiller for my headache)
• Person 2: Aqui na farmácia temos vários tipos de analgésicos. (We have several types of painkillers in the pharmacy)

For prescription medication, you will need to visit a doctor, who will give you a "receita médica" (prescription). You must take this to a pharmacy, where you can buy the medication.

Conclusion

In this lesson, we have learned about essential health-related vocabulary in Portuguese, including general vocabulary, medical professionals, parts of the body, illnesses and conditions, and medications. We hope this will help you communicate more effectively in healthcare situations. To improve your Portuguese Vocabulary, you can also use the Polyglot Club website. Find native speakers and ask them any questions!

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➡ If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section below.
➡ Feel free to edit this wiki page if you think it can be improved. 😎

Having concluded this lesson, consider checking out these related pages: Slang & Shopping.

Other Lessons

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• Medical Store
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Sources

• Health Vocabulary in Portuguese | Street Smart Brazil
• Brazilian Portuguese Vocabulary: Health insurance – Uncle Brazil
• Medical Vocabulary in Portuguese | Caminhos Language Centre