Language/Portuguese/Vocabulary/Medical-Vocabulary

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Portuguese → Vocabulary → 0 to A1 Course → Medical Vocabulary

Welcome to the "Portuguese Vocabulary → Medical Vocabulary" lesson! In this session, we will explore essential vocabulary that will empower you to communicate effectively in medical situations while speaking Portuguese. Whether you're traveling to a Portuguese-speaking country or simply looking to enhance your language skills, understanding medical vocabulary is vital.

Imagine finding yourself in a situation where you need to describe your symptoms to a doctor or ask for help in a pharmacy. Having the right words at your disposal can make all the difference! This lesson will guide you through common terms used to describe symptoms, medical conditions, and interactions with healthcare professionals.

We'll break down the lesson into several parts:

• Common Symptoms: Vocabulary related to physical ailments.

• Medical Professionals: Terms for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers.

• Medical Equipment: Words for tools and instruments you may encounter.

• Useful Phrases: Essential sentences to communicate your needs.

By the end of this lesson, you will feel more confident navigating medical conversations in Portuguese. So, let's get started!

Common Symptoms

Understanding how to describe your symptoms is crucial when seeking medical assistance. Below are some common symptoms in Portuguese, their pronunciation, and their English translations.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
dor	dor	pain
febre	ˈfɛbɾi	fever
tosse	ˈtɔsi	cough
náusea	ˈnaʊziɐ	nausea
fadiga	faˈdʒiɡɐ	fatigue
dor de cabeça	dor dʒi kaˈbɛsɐ	headache
dor nas costas	dor naz ˈkɔstɐs	back pain
espirro	esˈpiʁu	sneeze
congestão	kõʒeʃˈtɐ̃w	congestion
diarreia	djaˈʁeɪɐ	diarrhea
alergia	aˈleʁʒiɐ	allergy
inchaço	ĩˈʃasu	swelling
vômito	ˈvɔmitu	vomiting
cansaço	kɐ̃ˈsasu	tiredness
fraqueza	fɾaˈkeza	weakness
dor de estômago	dor dʒi esˈtɔmaɡu	stomach ache
dor no peito	dor nu ˈpeitu	chest pain
tontura	tũˈtura	dizziness
calafrio	kalaˈfʁi.u	chills
dificuldade para respirar	dʒifiˈkuldadʒi ˈpaɾɐ ʁeʃpiˈɾaʁ	difficulty breathing

Medical Professionals

Knowing the names of medical professionals will help you communicate more effectively in a healthcare setting. Here are some key terms:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
médico	ˈmɛdʒiku	doctor
enfermeiro	ẽfeʁˈmeɾu	nurse (male)
enfermeira	ẽfeʁˈmejɾɐ	nurse (female)
dentista	dẽˈtʃista	dentist
farmacêutico	faʁmɐˈsɛu̯tiku	pharmacist
fisioterapeuta	fizjoteɾɐˈpeu̯tɐ	physical therapist
pediatra	pe.dʒiˈatɾɐ	pediatrician
cirurgião	siɾuʁˈʒɪɐ̃w	surgeon
terapeuta	te.ɾɐˈpeu̯tɐ	therapist
especialista	espeʃiɐˈlistɐ	specialist

Medical Equipment

When discussing healthcare, it's essential to know some common medical equipment. Here’s a list of key terms:

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
estetoscópio	esteʊtosˈkɔpju	stethoscope
termômetro	teʁˈmɔmetɾu	thermometer
seringa	seˈɾĩɡɐ	syringe
bandagem	bɐ̃ˈdaʒɪŋ	bandage
gazes	ˈɡazɨs	gauze
comprimido	kõpɾiˈmidu	pill
remédio	ʁeˈmɛdju	medicine
exame	eˈzɐ̃mi	exam
raio-x	ˈʁaju ʃis	X-ray
cadeira de rodas	kaˈdeɾɐ dʒi ˈʁɔdas	wheelchair

Useful Phrases

Now that you have some vocabulary, let’s look at useful phrases that will help you express your needs in a medical context.

Portuguese	Pronunciation	English
Estou com dor.	esˈtoʊ kɔ̃ dor	I am in pain.
Tenho febre.	ˈteɲu ˈfɛbɾi	I have a fever.
Preciso de um médico.	pɾeˈsizu dʒi ũ ˈmɛdʒiku	I need a doctor.
Onde fica o hospital?	ˈõdʒi ˈfikɐ u ospiˈtaw	Where is the hospital?
Estou com tosse.	esˈtoʊ kɔ̃ ˈtɔsi	I have a cough.
Estou me sentindo mal.	esˈtoʊ mi sẽˈtĩdu ˈmaw	I am feeling unwell.
Pode me ajudar?	ˈpɔdʒi mi aʒuˈdaʁ	Can you help me?
Estou tendo dificuldades para respirar.	esˈtoʊ ˈtẽdu dʒifiˈkuldadʒi ˈpaɾɐ ʁeʃpiˈɾaʁ	I am having difficulty breathing.
Preciso de remédio.	pɾeˈsizu dʒi ʁeˈmɛdju	I need medicine.
Onde é o banheiro?	ˈõdʒi ɛ u bɐˈɲeɾu	Where is the bathroom?

Practice Exercises

To solidify your understanding of medical vocabulary, here are some exercises. Try to apply what you've learned!

Exercise 1: Match the Symptoms

Match the Portuguese symptoms with their English translations.

1. dor de cabeça

2. febre

3. tosse

4. náusea

5. diarreia

• A. diarrhea

• B. headache

• C. cough

• D. fever

• E. nausea

Solution:

1-B, 2-D, 3-C, 4-E, 5-A

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences with the correct medical vocabulary in Portuguese.

1. Eu tenho __________ (fever).

2. Você é __________ (nurse).

3. O médico me deu um __________ (pill).

4. Estou com __________ (pain).

5. Preciso de __________ (medicine).

Solution:

1. febre

2. enfermeiro/enfermeira

3. comprimido

4. dor

5. remédio

Exercise 3: Role Play

In pairs, practice a role-play where one person acts as the doctor and the other as the patient. Use the vocabulary and phrases from this lesson.

Exercise 4: True or False

Determine if the following statements are true or false.

1. "Dor" means "pain."

2. "Farmacêutico" is a dentist.

3. "Syringe" in Portuguese is "seringa."

4. "Cadeira de rodas" means "doctor."

5. "Dificuldade para respirar" means "difficulty breathing."

Solution:

1. True

2. False

3. True

4. False

5. True

Exercise 5: Translate the Phrases

Translate the following phrases into Portuguese.

1. I have a cough.

2. Where is the hospital?

3. Can you help me?

4. I feel unwell.

5. I need a doctor.

Solution:

1. Estou com tosse.

2. Onde fica o hospital?

3. Pode me ajudar?

4. Estou me sentindo mal.

5. Preciso de um médico.

Exercise 6: Create a Dialogue

Write a short dialogue between a patient and a doctor using vocabulary from this lesson.

Solution:

(Example)

Patient: Olá, doutor. Estou com dor de cabeça.

Doctor: Você tem febre?

Patient: Sim, tenho febre.

Doctor: Preciso fazer um exame.

Exercise 7: Identify the Professionals

List the Portuguese names for the following medical professionals:

1. Doctor

2. Nurse

3. Dentist

4. Pharmacist

5. Surgeon

Solution:

1. médico

2. enfermeiro/enfermeira

3. dentista

4. farmacêutico

5. cirurgião

Exercise 8: Vocabulary Quiz

Translate the following words into English:

1. dor

2. remédio

3. exame

4. gazes

5. séringa

Solution:

1. pain

2. medicine

3. exam

4. gauze

5. syringe

Exercise 9: Symptoms Chart

Create a chart with five symptoms in Portuguese and their English translations.

Solution:

| Portuguese | English |

|---------------------|---------------|

| dor nas costas | back pain |

| fadiga | fatigue |

| inchaço | swelling |

| febre | fever |

| tontura | dizziness |

Exercise 10: Discuss in Groups

In small groups, discuss a time when you or someone you know needed medical attention. Use as much vocabulary from this lesson as possible.

By practicing these exercises, you will gain confidence in using medical vocabulary in Portuguese. Remember, the more you engage with the language, the more fluent you will become!

Table of Contents - Portuguese Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Unit 1: Greetings and Basic Phrases

• Greetings
• Basic Phrases

  ---

Unit 2: Verbs - Present Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs
• Ser and Estar

  ---

Unit 3: Family and Descriptions

• Family Members
• Physical Descriptions
• Personality Descriptions

  ---

Unit 4: Verbs - Future and Conditional Tenses

• Future Tense
• Conditional Tense

  ---

Unit 5: Portuguese-Speaking Countries and Cultures

• Brazil
• Portugal
• Cape Verde
• Angola

  ---

Unit 6: Food and Drink

• Food
• Drink
• Eating Customs

  ---

Unit 7: Verbs - Past Tense

• Regular Verbs
• Irregular Verbs

  ---

Unit 8: Travel and Transportation

• Air Travel
• Ground Transportation
• Transportation Customs

  ---

Unit 9: Indefinite Pronouns and Prepositions

• Indefinite Pronouns
• Prepositions

  ---

Unit 10: Health and Emergencies

• Medical Vocabulary
• Emergency Services

Sources

• Medical Vocabulary in Portuguese | Caminhos Language Centre
• Medical Vocabulary in Portuguese - Brazilian Experience
• Health Vocabulary in Portuguese | Street Smart Brazil

Other Lessons

• Flight
• Gym
• Vegetables
• Desserts
• Animal
• Drinks
• Body
• Sightseeing
• VET
• Family

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