Health & Hospital

1. Боли ме глава

   Bo-li me gla-va

   I have a headache

   Usage

   Used to describe a headache to a doctor or pharmacist

   Grammar Note

   "Боли ме" is impersonal for "my [body part] hurts." Same pattern: "Боли ме стомак" (I have stomach pain).

2. Позовите хитну помоћ, молим

   Po-zo-vi-te hit-nu po-moć, mo-lim

   Please call an ambulance

   Usage

   Used in medical emergencies to request an ambulance

   Grammar Note

   Serbia's ambulance number is 194 (or 112). "Хитна помоћ" literally means "urgent help." Speak clearly in emergencies.

3. Да ли постоји апотека у близини?

   da li pos-to-ji a-po-te-ka u bli-zi-ni?

   Is there a pharmacy nearby?

   Usage

   Used to locate a nearby pharmacy when medicine is needed

   Grammar Note

   "Да ли" introduces yes/no questions. "У близини" uses the locative of "близина" (proximity).

4. Алергичан сам на пеницилин

   a-ler-gi-čan sam na pe-ni-ci-lin

   I am allergic to penicillin

   Usage

   Used to inform a doctor or pharmacist about a penicillin allergy

   Grammar Note

   Women say "Алергична сам." Serbian adjectives agree with the subject's gender.

5. Треба ми лекар

   Tre-ba mi le-kar

   I need a doctor

   Usage

   Used to inform hotel staff or others that you need a doctor

   Grammar Note

   "Треба ми" is impersonal with a dative pronoun. Belgrade's main hospital is Клинички центар Србије (KCS).

6. Имам високу температуру

   I-mam vi-so-ku tem-pe-ra-tu-ru

   I have a high fever

   Usage

   Used to inform a doctor or others that you have a high fever

   Grammar Note

   "Температура" is feminine; accusative = "температуру." Serbian uses cases; the accusative marks direct objects.

7. Мучи ме мучнина

   Mu-či me muč-ni-na

   I feel nauseous

   Usage

   Used to describe nausea to a doctor or medical staff

   Grammar Note

   "Мучи ме" is impersonal. Also used: "Гади ми се" (I feel nauseated) in colloquial speech.

8. Да ли постоји лекар који говори енглески?

   da li pos-to-ji le-kar ko-ji go-vo-ri en-gle-ski?

   Is there a doctor who speaks English?

   Usage

   Used by foreigners at Serbian hospitals to ask for an English-speaking doctor

   Grammar Note

   "Који" is the masculine relative pronoun for "лекар." Major Belgrade hospitals often have English-speaking staff.

9. Имам пролив

   I-mam pro-liv

   I have diarrhea

   Usage

   Used to describe gastrointestinal symptoms to a doctor

   Grammar Note

   "Пролив" literally means "flowing through." "Проблем са стомаком" (stomach problem) is another option.

10. Молим вас, пишите ми рецепт

    Mo-lim vas, pi-ši-te mi re-cept

    Please write me a prescription

    Usage

    Politely requests a prescription from a doctor after an examination

    Grammar Note

    "Молим вас" is the formal "please." "Молим" (informal) is also widely used. Many Serbian medicines are available OTC.

11. Трудна сам

    Trud-na sam

    I am pregnant

    Usage

    Show this first at a clinic or pharmacy: it changes what medication, X-rays, or anaesthesia are safe

    Grammar Note

    "Трудна" is the feminine adjective, so the phrase is inherently spoken by a woman; the noun "pregnancy" is "трудноћа". Give the week as "у 12. недељи"

12. Астма

    AST-ma

    Asthma

    Usage

    Point to this to declare asthma as a pre-existing condition; an inhaler is "инхалатор"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; in a sentence it takes the accusative: "Имам астму" (I have asthma)

13. Дијабетес

    di-ja-BE-tes

    Diabetes

    Usage

    Declares diabetes as a pre-existing condition; opens the conversation about diet limits or insulin

    Grammar Note

    "Шећерна болест" (sugar illness) is the everyday synonym; insulin is "инсулин"

14. Висок крвни притисак

    Vi-sok krv-ni pri-ti-sak

    High blood pressure

    Usage

    Declares hypertension as a pre-existing condition; it affects which medicines can be prescribed

    Grammar Note

    Serbian uses "притисак" for pressure, not the Croatian "tlak"; low blood pressure is "низак крвни притисак"

15. Болест срца

    Bo-lest sr-ca

    Heart disease

    Usage

    Declares a heart condition; a pacemaker is "пејсмејкер"

    Grammar Note

    "Срца" is the genitive of "срце" (heart); a heart attack is "срчани удар"

16. Епилепсија

    e-pi-LEP-si-ja

    Epilepsy

    Usage

    Worth showing in advance: during and after a seizure you cannot explain it yourself

    Grammar Note

    A seizure itself is "напад"; the sentence form is "Имам епилепсију" (I have epilepsy)

17. Здравствено осигурање

    Zdrav-stve-no o-si-gu-ra-nje

    Health insurance

    Usage

    Used at reception when showing an insurance card or policy; travel insurance is "путно осигурање"

    Grammar Note

    An insurance policy document is "полиса осигурања"; Serbia's state health fund is the РФЗО

18. Рецепт

    RE-cept

    Prescription

    Usage

    Show it at a consulting room or pharmacy counter. "Рецепт" also means a cooking recipe, so use it in a medical setting; say "лекарски рецепт" (doctor's prescription) to remove any doubt

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; prescription-only medicine is "лек на рецепт" and over-the-counter is "без рецепта"

19. Апотека

    a-po-TE-ka

    Pharmacy

    Usage

    Point to it when asking directions; the sign is a green cross reading "АПОТЕКА" or "APOTEKA"

    Grammar Note

    A 24-hour pharmacy is a "дежурна апотека" (duty pharmacy); Belgrade has several in the centre

20. Прелом кости

    Pre-lom kos-ti

    Bone fracture

    Usage

    Shown at an emergency room to indicate an X-ray is needed; point at the painful spot as you show it

    Grammar Note

    "Кости" is the genitive of "кост" (bone); a plaster cast is "гипс"

21. Тешко дишем

    Teš-ko di-šem

    I have trouble breathing

    Usage

    Point to it when you cannot spare the breath to speak; it is a top-priority symptom at triage

    Grammar Note

    "Дишем" is the first-person present of "дисати" (to breathe); as a noun, "отежано дисање"

22. Вртоглавица

    vr-TO-gla-vi-ca

    Dizziness

    Usage

    Covers both light-headedness and spinning vertigo

    Grammar Note

    In a sentence: "Имам вртоглавицу" or "Врти ми се у глави"

23. Крварење

    Krva-re-nje

    Bleeding

    Usage

    Show it while pointing at the bleeding site; blood itself is "крв"

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; the shortest sentence form is "Крварим" (I am bleeding)

24. Опекотина

    o-pe-KO-ti-na

    Burn

    Usage

    For a heat burn; sunburn is "опекотине од сунца"

    Grammar Note

    Serbian uses "опекотина" where Croatian has "opeklina"

25. Рана

    RA-na

    Wound

    Usage

    For a cut or laceration; a graze or scratch is "огреботина"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun. The unrelated adverb "рано" (early) looks similar, but the noun "рана" means wound

26. Уво

    U-vo

    Ear

    Usage

    Point at the ear as the painful part: "Боли ме уво" (my ear hurts)

    Grammar Note

    Serbian normally uses "уво", with "ухо" as a variant; the plural is "уши"

27. Врат

    Vrat

    Neck

    Usage

    For pain in the neck itself. A sore throat uses a different word, "грло" — do not confuse the two

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; the nape is "потиљак"

28. Раме

    RA-me

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point at the shoulder as the site of pain or injury

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun; the plural is "рамена"

29. Колено

    KO-le-no

    Knee

    Usage

    Point at the knee as the site of pain or injury

    Grammar Note

    Serbian is ekavian: "колено", against the Croatian ijekavian "koljeno"

30. Прст

    Prst

    Finger / toe

    Usage

    Serbian "прст" covers both fingers and toes. Specify with "прст на руци" (finger) or "прст на нози" (toe), or just point at the actual digit

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; the plural is "прсти" and the thumb is "палац"

31. Кожа

    KO-ža

    Skin

    Usage

    For describing a skin complaint; dermatology is "дерматологија"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun. "Кожа" also means leather as a material, but in a medical setting it means skin

32. Нос

    Nos

    Nose

    Usage

    Point at the nose; a blocked nose is "запушен нос" and a nosebleed "крварење из носа"

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun

33. Кашаљ

    KA-šalj

    Cough

    Usage

    Declares a cough; at a pharmacy it leads to "сируп за кашаљ" (cough syrup)

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; the genitive drops the vowel: "кашља"

34. Сврби ме

    Svr-bi me

    It itches

    Usage

    Show it while pointing at the itchy area; used for insect bites and allergic reactions

    Grammar Note

    Same impersonal pattern as "Боли ме"; the noun for itching is "свраб"

35. Осип

    O-sip

    Rash

    Usage

    Show it while pointing at the affected skin; it is evidence of an allergic reaction

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun; in a sentence, "Имам осип"

36. Опстипација

    Op-sti-pa-ci-ja

    Constipation

    Usage

    The medical term is used deliberately. The everyday word "затвор" also means prison and closure, so pointing at it alone invites misreading

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; at a pharmacy the paired word is "лаксатив" (laxative)

37. Менструација

    men-stru-A-ci-ja

    Menstruation / period

    Usage

    Used at a clinic or pharmacy; in everyday speech Serbians also say "циклус" (cycle) as a euphemism. Period pain is "менструални болови"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; the set phrase is "Добила сам менструацију" (my period has started)

38. Крвна група

    Krv-na gru-pa

    Blood type

    Usage

    Show it when you need to give your blood group before a transfusion or surgery

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun phrase: "крвна" (of blood) + "група" (group). "крв" is blood; its syllabic "р" is the syllable nucleus, hence the split "krv-na"

39. Лекарско уверење

    Le-kar-sko u-ve-re-nje

    Medical certificate

    Usage

    Show it when asking a doctor for a written statement, for an insurance claim or a licence; test results themselves are a "лекарски налаз"

    Grammar Note

    Neuter noun phrase: "лекарско" (a doctor's) + "уверење" (certificate). "лекар" is the Serbian word for a physician, corresponding to Croatian "liječnik"

40. Хоспитализација

    Hos-pi-ta-li-za-ci-ja

    Hospital admission

    Usage

    Being taken into hospital for treatment; the everyday phrasing is "пријем у болницу" and a hospital is a "болница"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun — a Latin-derived medical term borrowed into Serbian with the feminine "-ција" ending

41. Дрхтавица

    Drh-ta-vi-ca

    Chills

    Usage

    The shivering that comes before or with a fever; the fever itself is a separate word, "грозница"

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun formed from the verb "дрхтати" (to tremble, shiver). The syllabic "р" is the syllable nucleus, hence the split "drh-ta-vi-ca"

42. Прехлада

    PRE-hla-da

    Common cold

    Usage

    The ordinary cold affecting the nose and throat; understood as-is at a pharmacy. Influenza is "грип", a different illness

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun; the clinical name is also "назофарингитис"

43. Зовите лекара!

    Zo-vi-te le-ka-ra

    Please call a doctor

    Usage

    Used to ask someone present to fetch a doctor

    Grammar Note

    The "Зовите + accusative" pattern of "Зовите полицију!" with "лекар" from «Треба ми лекар» in the accusative "лекара" — the same form as the genitive in "Потребна ми је помоћ лекара"

44. Боли ме овде

    Bo-li me ov-de

    It hurts here

    Usage

    Used while pointing at the spot that hurts when talking to a doctor

    Grammar Note

    The pattern of "Боли ме глава" with the body-part noun replaced by the adverb "овде" (the word of «Какве еко-туристичке активности постоје овде?»). With "болети" the aching part is the subject and the person appears as the accusative clitic "ме"

45. Лоше ми је

    Lo-še mi je

    I feel sick

    Usage

    Used to tell a doctor or those around you that you feel unwell

    Grammar Note

    The "dative ми + је" construction of «Потребна ми је помоћ лекара» used impersonally with the adverb "лоше" as the predicate. It is the set way of reporting how you feel and does not change with the speaker's gender

46. Имам малаксалост

    I-mam ma-lak-sa-lost

    My body feels sluggish

    Usage

    Used to tell a doctor that you feel weak and heavy-limbed

    Grammar Note

    The "Имам + symptom in the accusative" pattern of "Имам високу температуру". The base verb малаксати means "schwach werden, debilitor" (to grow weak). Малаксалост names weakness as a symptom.

47. Повраћао сам неколико пута

    po-vra-ćao sam ne-ko-li-ko pu-ta

    I have vomited several times

    Usage

    Used to tell a doctor how many times you have been sick

    Grammar Note

    Same "past participle + сам" pattern as "Изгубио сам пасош". "неколико" is the word of «Ова фреска је стара неколико векова». Повраћати means to vomit; synonyms include ригати and бљувати. A female speaker says "Повраћала сам"

48. Да ли ми треба мировање?

    da li mi tre-ba mi-ro-va-nje

    Do I need to rest?

    Usage

    Used to ask a doctor whether you should stay at rest after being examined

    Grammar Note

    A question combining Да ли (as in "Да ли постоји апотека у близини?") and the impersonal ми треба ("Молим вас, хитно ми треба преводилац"). Мировање is the verbal noun of мировати (ruhig sein — to stay still); "мировање у кревету" means bed rest.

49. Пролив

    Pro-liv

    Diarrhea

    Usage

    Point to this to tell a doctor or pharmacist. The medical term is "дијареја", which appears in the pharmacy phrase "лек против дијареје"

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun. Дијареја is a synonym. The same spelling also means a strait (Керчки пролив, the Kerch Strait), so point to it as a symptom

50. Измет

    Iz-met

    Poop

    Usage

    A neutral word for excrement or stool. Use it to describe your stool to a doctor.

    Grammar Note

    Masculine noun meaning excrement. Medical language also uses столица (stool), a homograph of chair, so context matters.

51. Мокраћа

    Mo-kra-ća

    Pee

    Usage

    The colloquial verb пишати is slang. Мокраћа is a neutral noun for urine, used to describe urine to a doctor.

    Grammar Note

    Feminine noun. An example in the context of urine tests: "мокраћа се принципално састоји од…"

52. Имам опстипацију

    I-mam op-sti-pa-ci-ju

    I'm constipated

    Usage

    Used to tell a doctor or pharmacist that you are constipated

    Grammar Note

    The same "Имам + accusative" frame as "Имам пролив". "Опстипација" is feminine, so the accusative is "опстипацију". Here, the medical term is used because everyday "затвор" is also the word for prison

53. Морам да обавим малу нужду

    Mo-ram da o-ba-vim ma-lu nuž-du

    I need to pee

    Usage

    Tells a companion or child that you need to pee. A neutral euphemism is used instead of the colloquial "пишати"

    Grammar Note

    "Мала нужда" (small need) is a euphemism for urination; for example, "вршити велику и малу нужду" (to relieve oneself, big and small). "Морам да + present" means "I have to…". It sounds slightly formal, which suits a speaker who wants to avoid crude wording

54. Морам да обавим велику нужду

    Mo-ram da o-ba-vim ve-li-ku nuž-du

    I need to poop

    Usage

    Tells a companion or child that you need to poop. A neutral euphemism is used instead of a crude colloquial verb

    Grammar Note

    The counterpart of "мала нужда" in «Морам да обавим малу нужду». For example, "обавити велику нужду" (to relieve oneself, big). "Нужда" is feminine, so the accusative is "велику нужду"

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