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Nobody wants to find themselves in a situation where they require the services of medical professionals, particularly in a country that speaks a foreign language. In case the worst should happen, though, it’s best to make sure that you’re equipped with the language skills to communicate your needs—and even if you’re just making small talk, health is a common topic that is useful to have in your vocabulary. To be fully prepared for any such situations, you should practice with your tutor, who’ll make sure that you’re ready for any eventuality.
In this post, we’ll look at some useful vocabulary and 25 useful Portuguese phrases, both for medical situations and more general conversations about health.
Vocabulary
Below are 15 useful pieces of Portuguese medical vocabulary.
Health
Saúde (f)
Doctor
Médico (m) / médica (f)
Médico(a) is a noun that inflects depending on whether the doctor is male or female. Note that when talking directly to a doctor, you address them as doutor for a man or doutora for a woman.
Nurse
Enfermeiro (m) / enfermeira (f)
Pharmacy
Farmácia (f)
Medicine
Remédio (m)
Pill
Comprimido (m)
Capsule
Cápsula (f)
Medical appointment
Consulta médica (f)
Prescription
Receita (f) / prescrição (f)
Receita describes the physical prescription, that is, the piece of paper, whereas prescrição describes the act of prescription in a more abstract sense. For instance, to say “I need this medicine, here is my prescription” you would say eu preciso deste remédio, aqui está a minha receita, whereas “this medicine is only sold with a medical prescription” translates as este remédio é apenas vendido com prescrição médica.
Doctor's office/practice
Consultório médico (m)
Disease
Doença (f)
Surgery
Cirurgia (f)
Hospital
Hospital (m)
Treatment
Tratamento (m)
Dentist
Dentista (m/f)
Dentista is masculine or feminine depending on the gender of the dentist, but is always spelled the same way.
Phrases
Below, you’ll find 25 useful Portuguese phrases for medical situations.
I'm in good health.
Estou com saúde.
I'm in poor health.
Não estou com saúde.
I feel good today.
Eu me sinto bem hoje.
I don't feel well today.
Eu não me sinto bem hoje.
I'm sick.
Estou doente.
I need a doctor.
Eu preciso de um médico.
I need to go to hospital.
Eu preciso ir ao hospital.
Where's the nearest pharmacy?
Onde fica a farmácia mais próxima?
I have a cold.
Estou gripado(a)
I have a headache.
Estou com dor de cabeça.
I have a migraine.
Estou com enxaqueca.
I have a fever.
Tenho febre.
I have a sore throat.
Estou com dor de garganta.
I have a cough.
Estou com tosse.
I have a stomachache.
Estou com dor de estômago.
I'm nauseous.
Estou enjoado(a).
I've been vomiting.
Eu tenho vomitado.
I have diarrhea.
Tenho diarrea (EU)/diarréa (BR)
I think I have a broken bone.
Eu acho que tenho um osso quebrado.
I'm having an allergic reaction.
Estou tendo uma reacção (EU)/reação (BR) alérgica.
My leg hurts.
Minha perna doi.
I feel dizzy.
Eu me sinto tonto(a).
I need to lie down.
Eu preciso me deitar.
Do you have health insurance?
O senhor/a senhora tem plano de saúde? (EU/BR)
Você tem plano de saúde? (BR)
I'm having a medical emergency.
Estou tendo uma emergência médica.
Be Fully Prepared
The Portuguese phrases and vocabulary in this post are a great start, but real-life situations can be unpredictable and demanding. To gain the level of fluency you need, you should learn with an expert tutor, who will be able to simulate situations such as visiting a doctor, a medical emergency, or just an everyday conversation about health.