Lebanese bodily-state expressions organize experience differently from English. English normally begins with the person—“I have a headache,” “my stomach hurts”—but Lebanese can begin with a possessed body part and then mark the affected person on the verb: راسي عم يوجعني “my head is hurting me.” The body part controls agreement; the object suffix identifies the experiencer.
This page teaches language for describing symptoms, asking for professional information, and responding to someone who feels unwell. It does not diagnose conditions or recommend treatments. Real medical decisions belong with qualified clinicians or pharmacists.
The main expression families
| Meaning | Lebanese frame | Grammar |
|---|---|---|
| a body part hurts | راسي عم يوجعني | body part = subject; person = object suffix |
| pain in a location | عندي وجع بظهري | عند + possessor; بـ + location |
| symptom/state | عندي حرارة / أنا تعبان | possessive or adjectival frame |
| current symptom | عم بكح / عم بعطس | عم + b-imperfect |
| duration | صارلي يومين... | صارلـ + person + duration |
| request at a pharmacy | بدي اسأل عن شي لـ... | purpose/target with لـ |
| recovery wish | سلامتك / ألف سلامة | conventional social formula |
The table is a map, not a translation key. عندي حرارة is conventional for “I have a fever”; translating English I am hot literally would describe temperature sensation or physical heat, not necessarily the health state.
Pain: the body part and the affected person
In راسي عم يوجعني, راسي is masculine singular, so the verb is بيوجع. With feminine معدتي, the verb is بتوجع. The experiencer suffix remains ـني “me.” This double reference—possessive suffix on the body part and object suffix on the verb—is entirely natural.
راسي عم بيوجعني من وقت ما فقت.
rāse ʿam byūzhaʿne min waʾet ma fiʾet.
My head has been hurting since I woke up. (current pain with masculine agreement)
معدتي عم بتوجعني بعد كل وجبة.
miʿidte ʿam btūzhaʿne baʿd kill wazhbe.
My stomach hurts after every meal. (recurrent current problem with feminine agreement)
ركبتك بعدها بتوجعك لما بتطلع الدرج؟
rokbtak baʿda btūzhaʿak lamma btiṭlaʿ ed-darazh?
Does your knee still hurt when you climb the stairs? (to one man)
The suffixes need not refer to the speaker. بتوجعك means “hurts you,” while بتوجعه means “hurts him.” See body-part possession for why possessive marking is the normal way to identify whose body is involved.
An alternative uses the pain noun وجع:
عندي وجع بأسفل ظهري من مبارح.
ʿinde wazhaʿ b-asfal ḍahre min mbēreḥ.
I have pain in my lower back since yesterday. (location stated with بـ)
Symptoms and bodily states
Some states use عند “have,” others use an agreeing adjective, and unfolding actions use عم + b-imperfect. There is no single Lebanese equivalent of English have for every symptom.
عندي حرارة خفيفة وصوتي مبحوح.
ʿinde ḥarāra khfīfe w-ṣawte mabḥūḥ.
I have a slight fever, and my voice is hoarse. (symptom report)
حاسس حالي دايخ ومش قادر وقف منيح.
ḥāsis ḥāle dāyekh w-mish ʾāder wʾaf mnīḥ.
I feel dizzy and can't stand properly. (male speaker describing a state)
حاسة حالي تعبانة وعم بعطس كتير.
ḥāsse ḥāle taʿbēne w-ʿam baʿṭos ktīr.
I feel tired and I'm sneezing a lot. (female speaker; feminine agreement)
حاسس/حاسّة agrees with the speaker, as do دايخ/دايخة and تعبان/تعبانة. English “I feel...” does not reveal that gender morphology.
Duration: when it started and whether it continues
Use من + starting point to locate the beginning: من مبارح، من الصبح. Use صارلـ + person + duration to measure a situation that has continued until now. The ongoing symptom can follow as a progressive, adjective, or participle.
صارلي تلات أيام عم بكح بالليل.
ṣārle tlēt iyyēm ʿam bakuḥḥ bil-lēl.
I've been coughing at night for three days. (continuing duration)
من الصبح وأنا بردان، مع إنو الغرفة دافية.
min eṣ-ṣobeḥ w-ana bardēn, maʿ inno l-ghorfe dēfye.
I've felt cold since this morning, even though the room is warm. (male speaker)
بعدني تعبانة، بس أحسن بكتير من الأسبوع الماضي.
baʿdne taʿbēne, bass aḥsan b-ktīr min el-osbūʿ el-māḍe.
I'm still tired, but much better than last week. (female speaker; continuing state)
English present perfect often corresponds to these duration constructions, not to one mechanically chosen Lebanese tense.
Advice and professional information
Advice commonly uses لازم + bare imperfect, أحسنلك + bare imperfect, or an imperative. The social force depends on expertise and setting. A clinician can appropriately state a necessary next step within their remit; an acquaintance should not present a guess as a diagnosis.
لازم تحكي مع دكتور عن هالوجع، مش تعتمد عالتخمين.
lāzem tiḥke maʿ doktōr ʿan hal-wazhaʿ, mish tiʿtamed ʿat-takhmīn.
You need to speak with a doctor about this pain, not rely on guessing. (language model for referral, not a diagnosis)
إذا بدك رأيي، اتصل بالعيادة واسأل عن موعد.
iza baddak raʾye, ittiṣel bil-ʿiyēde w-isʾal ʿan mawʿed.
If you want my opinion, call the clinic and ask for an appointment. (mitigated practical advice)
The page models the grammar of asking. It intentionally does not tell learners which medicine to take or how much.
At a pharmacy: ask, do not self-prescribe
Use بدي اسأل عن... to open a request for information. شي لـ... means “something for...” and takes the symptom or purpose after لـ. Follow-up questions can ask about a prescription, instructions, or precautions.
مرحبا، بدي اسأل عن شي لوجع الحلق.
marḥaba, badde isʾal ʿan shī la-wazhaʿ el-ḥaleʾ.
Hello, I'd like to ask about something for a sore throat. (pharmacy request for information)
هالدوا بدو وصفة، ولا بينباع بلا وصفة؟
had-dawa baddo waṣfe, walla byinbēʿ bla waṣfe?
Does this medicine require a prescription, or is it sold without one? (information question)
في شي لازم خبر الصيدلي عنه قبل ما آخده؟
fī shī lāzem khabbir eṣ-ṣēdale ʿanno ʾabel ma ākhdo?
Is there anything I need to tell the pharmacist about before taking it? (safety-information question)
Here آخده resumes masculine الدواء. The person being asked is a professional source, not merely a seller.
Substitution frame: body part + pain verb + experiencer
Use [possessed body part] + عم + agreeing b-imperfect + affected-person suffix:
ضهري عم بيوجعني وقت بسوق مسافة طويلة.
ḍahre ʿam byūzhaʿne waʾet bsūʾ masēfe ṭwīle.
My back hurts when I drive a long distance. (masculine body part)
إيدها عم بتوجعها من محل الوقعة.
īda ʿam btūzhaʿa min maḥall el-waʾʿa.
Her hand hurts where she fell. (feminine body part; affected person ‘her’)
عيونك عم بيوجعوك من ضو الشاشة؟
ʿyūnak ʿam byūzhaʿūk min ḍaww esh-shēshe?
Are your eyes hurting from the screen light? (plural body part and plural verb)
This frame lets learners replace the body part and suffix without rebuilding the whole clause.
Recovery wishes and responses
سلامتك is a conventional wish after illness, pain, an accident, or even a minor complaint. Its spelling is the same for one man and one woman, while speech distinguishes salēmtak and salēmtik. A common response is الله يسلمك.
سلامتك، إن شاء الله بتكون أحسن بكرا.
salēmtak, in shālla btkūn aḥsan bokra.
Get well soon; hopefully you'll be better tomorrow. (to one man)
ألف سلامة عليكي، ديري بالك عحالك.
alf salēme ʿalēke, dīre bēlik ʿa-ḥēlik.
Wishing you a full recovery; take care of yourself. (to one woman)
الله يسلمك، صرت أحسن اليوم.
alla ysallmak, ṣiret aḥsan el-yōm.
Thank you; I'm better today. (conventional response and update)
Dialogue 1: explaining a symptom at a clinic
وين عم بيوجعك، ومن إمتى؟
wēn ʿam byūzhaʿak, w-min imta?
Clinician: Where does it hurt, and since when? (professional information question)
حلقي عم بيوجعني وصارلي يومين عم بكح.
ḥalʾe ʿam byūzhaʿne w-ṣārle yōmēn ʿam bakuḥḥ.
Patient: My throat hurts, and I've been coughing for two days.
في حرارة أو عوارض تانية؟
fī ḥarāra aw ʿawāreḍ tēnye?
Clinician: Is there a fever or any other symptoms? (information gathering, not diagnosis)
في حرارة خفيفة، وما عم بنام منيح.
fī ḥarāra khfīfe, w-ma ʿam bnēm mnīḥ.
Patient: There's a slight fever, and I'm not sleeping well.
Dialogue 2: at a pharmacy
مسا الخير، بدي اسأل الصيدلي عن هالوصفة.
masa l-khēr, badde isʾal eṣ-ṣēdale ʿan hal-waṣfe.
Customer: Good evening, I'd like to ask the pharmacist about this prescription.
أكيد، شو السؤال اللي بدك تسأله؟
akīd, shū s-suʾāl ille baddak tisʾalo?
Pharmacist: Of course. What question would you like to ask?
بدي أتأكد إمتى لازم آخد الدوا، وإذا في شي لازم تجنبه.
badde atʾakkad imta lāzem ākhod ed-dawa, w-iza fī shī lāzem tzhanabo.
Customer: I want to confirm when I should take the medicine and whether there is anything I should avoid. (requesting professional instructions)
Variation and register
دكتور is ordinary in Beirut; حكيم is also familiar Lebanese vocabulary (regional: Lebanon, informal). طبيب is (formal) and common in writing or institutional speech. The course uses هاد الدوا / هاي الوصفة; common Lebanese هيدا الدوا / هيدي الوصفة are equally recognizable (regional: Lebanon). Syrian, Palestinian, and Jordanian speakers may differ in demonstratives, symptom vocabulary, and vowel patterns, so do not manufacture a pan-Levantine sentence by switching one word from each variety. سلامتك and ألف سلامة are widespread formulas, but their frequency and accompanying responses vary by speaker and setting.
Common Mistakes
❌ معدتي عم بيوجعني.
Incorrect agreement—feminine معدتي requires بتوجعني.
✅ معدتي عم بتوجعني من بعد العشا.
miʿidte ʿam btūzhaʿne min baʿd el-ʿasha.
My stomach has been hurting since after dinner.
❌ أنا ساخن من مبارح.
Misleading literal transfer for ‘I have a fever’—ساخن describes being physically hot; the health frame uses عندي حرارة.
✅ عندي حرارة من مبارح وصرت تعبان.
ʿinde ḥarāra min mbēreḥ w-ṣiret taʿbēn.
I've had a fever since yesterday, and I've become tired. (male speaker)
❌ صارلي تلات أيام بكح.
Incomplete for the intended ongoing episode in the course baseline—use عم plus the b-imperfect.
✅ صارلي تلات أيام عم بكح بس خفت الحرارة.
ṣārle tlēt iyyēm ʿam bakuḥḥ bass khaffit el-ḥarāra.
I've been coughing for three days, but the fever has gone down.
❌ لازم بتسألي الصيدلي عن هالدواء.
Incorrect—لازم selects a bare imperfect, without b-.
✅ لازم تسألي الصيدلي عن طريقة الاستعمال.
lāzem tisʾale ṣ-ṣēdale ʿan ṭarīʾet el-istiʿmāl.
You need to ask the pharmacist about the instructions for use. (to one woman)
❌ بدي دوا على وجع الراس.
English-influenced preposition choice—the purpose/target frame here uses لـ.
✅ بدي اسأل عن شي لوجع الراس، لو سمحت.
badde isʾal ʿan shī la-wazhaʿ er-rās, law samaḥt.
I'd like to ask about something for a headache, please.
Key Takeaways
Pain often uses possessed body part + agreeing verb + affected-person suffix: راسي بيوجعني، معدتي بتوجعني. Symptoms divide among عندي, agreeing adjectives, and عم + b-imperfect. Use من for a starting point and صارلي + duration for a continuing interval. At a pharmacy or clinic, ask for professional information rather than presenting a guess as fact. Close illness talk with conventional, agreement-sensitive wishes such as سلامتك.
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Start learning Arabic →Related Topics
- Body Parts and Possessor InterpretationB1 — Choose among possessive suffixes, contextual definite body parts, and affected-person clitics in everyday Lebanese Arabic.
- عم plus Imperfect for Ongoing EventsA1 — Build the Beirut progressive with عم plus b-imperfect for current and extended ongoing events.
- صارلـ: For and Since DurationsB1 — Measure an ongoing Lebanese duration with صار plus a dative suffix, and control questions, negation, present-perfect transfer, and past reference points.
- Advice, Warnings, and RecommendationsC1 — Choose Lebanese advice forms by urgency, authority, and whose interests the recommendation is presented as serving.
- Making Requests from Direct to MitigatedA2 — Choose Lebanese imperatives, فيك, ممكن, willingness clauses, reasons, and appreciation according to entitlement, effort, and relationship.