Appendix A: Medical Kiswahili
Here is a beginning list of words you might find helpful as you work. Kiswahili is NOT a language that one can begin to speak readily since nouns are divided into eight classes, which do not always make sense to the English speaker. Prepositions, verbs, adjectives, etc. must agree with the class of the noun being modified – AND it gets worse before things fall into place (IF they ever do!).
If you ask a question of a patient, you may find it difficult to understand his or her answer. Still, knowing a few words may help you to understand the gist of the conversation occurring at bedside. Generally, if a patient or Kenyan counterpart is referring to a certain person within the hospital, the following holds true:
|
“Sisters” |
= |
Nurses |
|
“Nursing officers” |
= |
Male Nurses |
|
“Matron” |
= |
Head Nurse |
|
“Medical Officer” (MO) |
= |
Post intern physician assigned to the District Hospital |
|
“Clinical Officer” (CO) |
= |
Similar to a physician assistant |
|
“Intern” |
= |
Interns |
|
“Consultant” |
= |
Consultants |
All of the above mentioned speak English and will happily interpret for you IF they can be found.
If you think of other words or phrases you would like to have, let us know, and we’ll try to research them for you…
Editors: Diana Menya
Caroline Jepkorir
Eunica Kasay
Peninah Musula Soita
Wycliffe Odongo
Body Parts
| Mwili/miili | body/bodies |
| Moyo/mioyo | heart/hearts |
| Mkono/mikono | hand/arms, hands |
| Kiko cha mguu | elbow |
| Kionwa/vichwa | head/heads |
| Bega/mabega | chest/chests |
| Titi/matiti | breast/breasts |
| Ubavu/mbavu | rib/ribs |
| Tumbo/matumbo | stomach/stomachs |
| Uume, [vulgar, mbco] | penis *Actually, one NEVER refers to genitals by name. One says “down there” which is ukochini. IF one has to be more specific one refers to the mans “thing” as kitu kuma or uke = vagina. One can also refer to the birth canal as mjia va uzazi. |
| Mguu/miguu | leg/legs, foot/feet |
| Goti/magoti | knee/knees |
| Kidole/vidole | finger/fingers, toe/toes |
| Uso/nyuso | face/faces |
| Jiono/macho | eye/eyes |
| Sikic/maskio | ear/ears |
| Pua/mapua | nose/noses |
| Mdomo/midomo | mouth/mouths |
| Ulimi/ndimi | tongue/tongues |
| Jino/meno | tooth/teeth |
Medical Words
| Kidonda/vidonda | sore (noun) |
| Mganga/waganga | (native?) doctor/s |
| (Ku)ganga | to treat |
| Mgonjwa/wagonjwa | patient/s, sick person/s |
| Mafi | feces *Not often used – considered rude [shit] (usually “choo” is used for a “heavy load”) |
| Mkocho | urine (“light load”) |
| Kifo | death |
| Sumu | poison |
| (Ku)tapika | to vomit |
| Dawa | drug |
| Hospitali | hospital |
| Magonjwa | diseases |
| Ugonjwa | illness, sickness |
| Uzee | old age |
| Angalia pale | look there |
| Ukuta | wall |
| Tazama | look |
| Pumua | breathe |
| Pumua nje | breathe out |
| Pumua ndani | breathe in |
| Pumua tena | breath again |
| Toa shati nyako | take off your shirt |
| Toangua | take off things |
| Vuaangua | take off your clothes |
| Wacha kupumua | don’t (to) breathe |
| Kohoa | cough |
| Shika | hold, catch, keep |
| Sema | say |
| Pinduka | turn around (oneself) |
| Kati | sit |
| Ka | sit |
| Simama | stand up |
| Nyamaza | be quiet |
| Fungua | open |
| Funga | close |
| Jilegeze | relax |
| Daktari | doctor |
| Sabuni | soap |
| Kiwete | cripple/deformed person |
| Cheka | laugh |
| Ngozi | skin (of human or animal) |
| Toa ulimi nje | stick out your tongue |
| Viini | germs |
| Kifua Kikuu | TB |
| Kisonono | GC |
| Tago | syphilis |
| Ukimqi | AIDS |
| Kwa muda gain? | How long? |
| Kwa siku gapi? | How many days? |
| Damu | blood |
Verbs
| (ku)na | to have |
| (ku)sema | to say |
| (ku)lala | to sleep |
| (ku)meza | to swallow |
| (ku)ja | to come (Kuja hapa! = Come here!) |
| (ku)kwenda | to go |
| (ku)tambea | to walk |
| (ku)sikia | to listen |
| (ku)andika | to write |
| (ku)tenda | to do |
| (ku)la | to eat |
| (ku)nywa | to drink |
| (ku)dhuku | to taste |
Numbers
| Moja | one |
| Mbili or wili | two |
| Tatu | three |
| Nne | four |
| Tano | five |
| Sita | six |
| Saba | seven |
| Nane | eight |
| Tisa | nine |
| Kumi | ten |
| Nusu | one half |
| Kumi na moja | eleven |
| Kumi na mbili | twelve |
| Ishirini | twenty |
| Thelathini | thirty |
| Arobaini | forty |
| Hamsini | fifty |
| Sitini | sixty |
| Sabini | seventy |
| Themanini | eighty |
| Tisini | ninety |
| Mia | one hundred |
| Elfu | one thousand |
Nonmedical Words/Phrases
| Na | and |
| Au | or |
| Ndiyo | yes |
| La | no |
| Kitabu/vitabu | book |
| Chakula/vyakula | food/s |
| Choo | latrine |
| Kiti/viti | chair/s |
| Mwalimu/walimu | teacher/s |
| Mwanume/wanume | man/men |
| Mwanamke/wabawaje | woman/women |
| Mwana/wana | son/s, child/children |
| Mtoto/watoto | child/ren |
| Mzee/wazee | old or respected man/men |
| Mwavuli/mivuli | umbrella/s (for IF you are traveling to Kenya during the raining season) |
| Mkate/mikate | bread/s |
| Mlango/milango | door/s |
| Nyumbani | home |
| Chai | tea |
| Maziwa | milk |
| Tafadhali | Please |
| Jambo | Hello |
| Ndiyo | Yes |
| Hapana | No |
| Kulia | Right |
| Kushoto | Left |
| Kidogo | Little |
| Sawa | OK |
| Tena | Again |
| Moto | Hot |
| Baridi | Cold |
| Asante | Thank you |
| Karibu | Welcome |
| Sana | A lot |
| Bas | That’s all |
| Pole pole | Slow |
| Pole | Sorry |
| Kwaheri! | Goodbye! |
| Je, unajua Kingereza | Do you know English? |
| Habari yako? | How are you? |
| Nzuri, na wewe? | I’m fine, and you? |
| Jina lako ni nani? | What is your name? |
| Jina langu ni Daktari Dukes | My name is Doctor Dukes |
| Unatoka Kijiji gani? | What village are you from? |
| Una umri gani? | How old are you? |
Other Medical Terms
| Unasikiaje leo? | How do you feel today? |
| Unauguaje? | How are you sick/suffer? |
| Tangu lini? | How long? |
| Unaumwa wapi? | Where do you hurt? |
| “ kitchwa? | Does your head hurt? |
| “ macho? | Do your eyes hurt? |
| “ mapua? | Does your nose hurt? |
| “ sikio? | Does your ear hurt? |
| “ koo? | Does your throat hurt? |
| “ kifua? | Does your chest hurt? |
| “ tumbo? | Does your stomach hurt? |
| “ mgongo? | Does your back hurt? |
| “ mkono? | Does your arm hurt? |
| “ mguu? | Does your leg hurt? |
| “ viungo? | Do your joints hurt? |
| Una Homa? | Do you have a fever? |
| Unatapika? | Are you vomiting? |
| Unahara? | Are you having diarrhea? |
| Unakohoa? | Are you coughing? |
| Unapumua haraka? | Are you breathing faster (SOB)? |
| Una sikia jasho usiku? | Do you have night sweats? |
| Unapunguza uzito? | Are you losing weight? |
| Unakula na kunywa vizuri? | Are you eating and drinking well? |
| Unaweza kusikia na kuona vizuri? | Can you hear and see O.K.? |
| Ulikuwa na una damu kwa mapua? | Are you having a nosebleed? |
| Maji katika masikio? | Do you have drainage from the ears? |
| Unaumwa koo? | Are you having pain in the throat? |
| Je, Unapumua haraka kwa kulala/kutembia? | Are you SOB lying/walking? |
| Je, Unakohoa makohozi? | Are you coughing phlegm? |
| Je, Rangi gani? | What color? |
| Mayai | Yellow |
| Nyeupi | White |
| Nyekundu | Red |
| Damu | Blood |
| Je, Unaenda haja kubwa? | Have you have a B.M? (gone for a ‘long call’) |
| Je, Unaenda haja ndogo? | Have you urinated? (gone for a ‘short call’) |
| Je, Unahara damu? | Are you having bloody diarrhea? |
| Je, Unafura miguu? | Any swelling of the legs? |
| Je, Una kidonda? | Do you have a sore/ulcer? |
| Je, Unavipele? | Do you have a rash? |
| Usingizi mzilo | coma |
| Kifafa | Epilepsy/fit |
| Dhaifu | Weakness |
| Kufaganzi | Numbness |
| Hakuna kutemba vizuri | I can’t walk right |
| Una allergy kwa dawa? | Are you allergic to medicine? |
| Unapata dawa? | Are you getting medicine? |
| Unanunua dawa? | Can you by medicine? |
| Shida yeyotea zamani? | Have you had illness in the past? |
| Unavuta sigara? | Do you smoke? |
| Unakunywa pombe? | Do you drink alcohol? |
| Sasa nitapima wewe | Now I will examine you. |
| Tafadhali, toa shati/koti/viatu | Please take off your shirt/coat/shoes |
| Keti | Sit up |
| Lala | Lie down |
| Fungua mdomo | Open your mouth |
| Sema ah | Say ah |
| Unaumwa hapa | Does it hurt here? (tenderness) |
| Pumua ndani/nje | Breathe in/out |
| Wacha kupumua | Stop breathing |
| Unainua mguu/mkono | Lift up your leg/arm |
| Legeza | Relax |
| Ina misha kichwa | Bend your head |