Health & Hospital

1. Ngiyagula.

   I am sick.

   Usage

   The most basic way to say you feel unwell

   Grammar Note

   Ngi-ya-gula is I am sick, the present tense of gula. A patient is called ingulani (plural iingulani). Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

2. Ngibawa ubize udorhodere.

   Please call a doctor.

   Usage

   Asks hotel staff or bystanders to call a doctor

   Grammar Note

   Please is ngibawa, the counterpart of Zulu ngicela. What you ask for follows as a subjunctive verb such as ubize. Doctor is udorhodere (also written udorhodera), spelled differently from Zulu udokotela. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

3. Ngibawa isizo!

   Please help me!

   Usage

   Calls for help in an emergency; a polite form

   Grammar Note

   Ngibawa isizo is a polite set expression asking for help. To simply shout for help, say Sizani!

4. Ngibawa ubize i-ambulensi.

   Please call an ambulance.

   Usage

   Asks for an ambulance after an injury or sudden illness

   Grammar Note

   Ambulensi is borrowed from English, and the plural is written ama-ambulensi. What you ask for follows as a subjunctive verb such as ubize. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

5. Ingabe isibhedlela siseduze?

   Is there a hospital nearby?

   Usage

   Used to find a nearby hospital

   Grammar Note

   Isibhedlela means hospital, the same form as in Zulu. -seduze (near) takes the subject prefix si-. A clinic is umtholapilo (plural imitholapilo). Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

6. Ngizwa ubuhlungu ehlokweni.

   I have a headache.

   Usage

   Tells someone about a headache; swap the last word for other body parts

   Grammar Note

   Feel pain is zwa ubuhlungu, with the place after it in the e- ... -ni form (ihloko head becomes ehlokweni). Head is ihloko, where Zulu has ikhanda. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

7. Ngiphuma iingazi.

   I am bleeding.

   Usage

   Says you are bleeding; point to the wound as you show it

   Grammar Note

   Phuma iingazi means to bleed. Iingazi (blood) is a plural noun, matching Zulu igazi. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

8. Isilonda

   Wound

   Usage

   Show it while pointing at the spot; covers cuts, grazes and infected sores

   Grammar Note

   Isilonda means wound, and the plural is iinlonda. At a pharmacy, ask for it together with a plaster (iplasta)

9. Ubuhlungu

   Pain

   Usage

   Show it while pointing at the sore spot; pair it with the body-part cards

   Grammar Note

   Ubuhlungu means pain. It shares its stem with the adjective -buhlungu (painful), and kubuhlungu means it hurts

10. Ithambo liphukile.

    A bone is broken.

    Usage

    Says a bone is broken; point at the place as you show it

    Grammar Note

    Ithambo means bone, and the plural is amathambo. Phuka means break, and the perfect liphukile means is broken. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

11. Ngiphelelwa mummoya.

    I am short of breath.

    Usage

    Says you are short of breath; showing the screen is faster than speaking

    Grammar Note

    Ukuphelelwa mummoya means to run out of breath, and appears in health information. Ummoya means wind or breath. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

12. Nginobulwele beswigiri.

    I have diabetes.

    Usage

    Declares a chronic condition; show it before an examination or before medicine is chosen

    Grammar Note

    Ubulwele means disease and iswigiri is borrowed from English sugar, so ubulwele beswigiri is diabetes. Ngi-na and ubulwele contract to nginobulwele. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

13. Nginesifo sehliziyo.

    I have a heart condition.

    Usage

    Declares a chronic condition; show it before an examination or before medicine is chosen

    Grammar Note

    Isifo means disease and ihliziyo means heart. Disease of something puts the s- form after isifo (sehliziyo). Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

14. Ngisidisi.

    I am pregnant.

    Usage

    Say it first at a clinic or pharmacy; it decides which medicine or X-ray is safe

    Grammar Note

    Sidisi means pregnant, and a woman says ngisidisi about herself. To become pregnant is ukuba sidisi. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

15. Ngiyahlanza.

    I am vomiting.

    Usage

    Tells a doctor or pharmacist you are vomiting

    Grammar Note

    Hlanza has two meanings, to vomit and to wash or clean. In a talk about health it means vomit, and with an object after it, it means wash. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

16. Ngiyahlohlonya.

    I am itchy.

    Usage

    Tells someone about the itch of an insect bite or a rash

    Grammar Note

    Ukuhlohlonya means to itch. In health notices it appears in the warning about moles that grow, bleed or itch. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

17. Nginerhudo.

    I have diarrhea.

    Usage

    Tells a doctor or pharmacist that you have diarrhea

    Grammar Note

    Ngi-na and irhudo (diarrhea) contract to nginerhudo. If you show signs of dehydration, also mention that you need fluids. Composed from known words and sentence patterns; native review recommended

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