They don’t say health is wealth for nothing! Whether you’re visiting Turkey for medical purposes or just having a mishap during your trip, learning health vocabulary in Turkish will help you explain your health condition and understand the advice the doctor gives.
No one wants to visit a hospital during their trip abroad, but you may want to if you are visiting Turkey. This country has become a hot destination for health tourism in recent years. It attracts patients from all over the world thanks to the advantages of the healthcare services in Turkey. Patients mostly prefer it for cosmetic surgeries as they cost less, and there are many expert estheticians in Turkey.
Considering that, we’ve gathered some useful health-related vocabulary for you to learn.
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Learn Health Vocabulary In Turkish
In this blog article, you’ll learn Turkish vocabulary related to health problems, treatments, medical specialists, hospitals, and health advice. First comes health! Let’s get started with learning the word for health in Turkish: sağlık.
Vocabulary For Health Issues
Health problems (sağlık sorunları) can occur anywhere, anytime. If you feel unwell and think you have a pain or ache all of a sudden, you should visit a doctor. When you go to a hospital in Turkey, the doctor will probably ask, “What’s the matter with you?” (Şikayetiniz nedir?). This vocabulary list covering common health problems can help you explain your condition even if you only manage to utter a one-word sentence.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Headache | Baş ağrısı | |
| Earache | Kulak ağrısı | |
| Runny nose | Burun akıntısı | |
| Flu | Grip | |
| Fever | Ateş | |
| Cut | Kesit | |
| Bruise | Morluk | |
| Bump | Şişlik | |
| Toothache | Diş ağrısı | |
| Backache | Bel ağrısı | |
| Cold | Soğuk algınlığı | |
| Stomach ache | Karın ağrısı | |
| Vomiting | Kusma | |
| Cough | Öksürük | |
| Nausea | Mide bulantısı | |
| Diarrhea | İshal | |
| Throat pain | Boğaz ağrısı | |
| Low blood pressure | Düşük tansiyon | |
| High blood pressure | Yüksek tansiyon | |
| Broken arm | Kırık kol | |
| Broken leg | Kırık bacak | |
| Broken finger | Kırık parmak | |
| Bleeding | Kanama | |
| Itching | Kaşıntı | |
| Asthma | Astım | |
| Allergy | Alerji | |
| Heart attack | Kalp krizi | |
| To hurt | Acımak | |
| Injured | Yaralı |
Vocabulary For Medicine And Treatments
Once the doctor understands your health condition, they will examine you. After the examination is done, they may require additional tests such as blood tests or an x-ray. If that’s not necessary, they may write out a prescription (reçete) and explain the right way to take the medicine. In that case, it’d be useful to at least grasp some keywords, if not all.
You could also consider using a language-learning app to prepare for the trip, like the Ling app, which is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. In the meantime, here’s some vocabulary for medicine and treatments:
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine | İlaç | |
| Dosage | Doz | |
| Antibiotics | Antibiyotik | |
| Painkillers | Ağrı kesici | |
| Tranquilizers | Sakinleştirici | |
| Surgery | Ameliyat | |
| Examination | Muayene | |
| Vaccination | Aşı | |
| X-ray | Röntgen | |
| Blood test | Kan testi | |
| Diagnosis | Teşhis | |
| Treatment | Tedavi | |
| Physical therapy | Fizik tedavi | |
| Rehabilitation | Rehabilitasyon | |
| First aid | İlk yardım |
Vocabulary For Medical Specialists
If you don’t want to waste time asking the receptionist which clinic you should go to, you’d better know which medical specialist you want to see beforehand. This vocabulary list below might be just what you need.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor | Doktor | |
| Nurse | Hemşire | |
| Surgeon | Cerrah | |
| Dentist | Diş doktoru | |
| Nutritionist | Diyetisyen | |
| General practitioner | Aile hekimi | |
| Cardiologist | Kardiyolog | |
| Dermatologist | Dermatolog | |
| Esthetician | Estetik uzmanı | |
| Gastroenterologist | Gastroenterolog | |
| Neurologist | Nörolog | |
| Ophthalmologist | Göz doktoru | |
| Otolaryngologist | Kulak burun boğaz doktoru | |
| Orthopedic surgeon | Ortopedi cerrahı | |
| Pediatrician | Çocuk doktoru / Pediastrist | / |
| Psychiatrist | Psikiyatrist | |
| Gynecologist | Kadın hastalıkları ve doğum uzmanı / Jinekolog | / |
Vocabulary For Hospital And Facilities
When you enter a hospital, there are signs everywhere showing directions to different units. Though usually these signs include English translations, it’s always wise to know the related words in the local language, so here’s a helpful list.
| English | Turkish | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital | Hastane | |
| Clinic | Poliklinik / Klinik | / |
| Emergency room | Acil servis | |
| Operating room | Ameliyathane | |
| Ambulance | Ambulans | |
| Intensive care unit | Yoğun bakım ünitesi | |
| Reception | Resepsiyon | |
| Cafeteria | Kafeterya | |
| Waiting room | Bekleme odası | |
| Patient room | Hasta odası | |
| Pharmacy | Eczane |
Phrases For Health Advice In Turkish
Sometimes the treatment can be easier than you think. You may go to see a doctor because of a common cold, but instead of prescribing medicine, they tell you to take a rest or drink lemon and mint tea. Well, ours is not to reason why; they are doctors! Perhaps they know you will pull through the illness with medicine-free remedies since it is not serious.
Here, we gathered some of the most common advice given by general practitioners:
| English Phrase | Turkish Translation | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Visit a doctor. | Doktora gidin. | |
| Take a painkiller. | Ağrı kesici alın. | |
| Stop smoking. | Sigarayı bırakın. | |
| Cut down on alcohol. | Alkolü azaltın. | |
| Try to lose some weight. | Biraz kilo vermeye çalışın. | |
| Take a rest. | Biraz dinlenin. | |
| Drink lemon and mint tea. | Nane limon çayı için. | |
| Consume less sugar and salt. | Daha az şeker ve tuz tüketin. | |
| Avoid fatty foods. | Yağlı yiyeceklerden uzak durun. | |
| Learn ways to cope with stress. | Stresle başa çıkmanın yollarını öğrenin. | |
| Strengthen your muscles. | Kaslarınızı güçlendirin. | |
| Drink enough water. | Yeterince su için. |
Conclusion
In this article, I tried to provide you with useful health vocabulary in Turkish, in case you need to see a doctor during your trip — God forbid — or are traveling for medical reasons.
If you are planning to visit Turkey to get a medical procedure done and want to travel in the country while you’re there, you should take a look at health tourism packages. Many private Turkish health institutions offer health tourism packages that may interest you.
Furthermore, if that’s your reason for traveling, you could also start learning Turkish as soon as possible to make sure you have the best experience in this wonderful country!
