Lesson 13: Body and Health

Learn body parts, health vocabulary, and how to describe symptoms and visit a doctor in Esperanto.

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Overview

Describing health and body parts is one of the most practically important topics for any language learner. This lesson covers the names of major body parts, health-related vocabulary, and three key grammar patterns: the dative construction for pain (doloras al mi), the productive -ist- suffix for professions, and the verb senti (to feel) with adjectives.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

  • Name the major parts of the human body in Esperanto.
  • Use key health vocabulary to describe symptoms.
  • Express pain using the dative construction (Doloras al mi la kapo.).
  • Form profession words using the -ist- suffix.
  • Say how you feel using senti min + adjective.
  • Conduct a basic dialogue at a doctor's office.

Vocabulary

Body Parts

Esperanto Type English Notes
kapo noun head la kapo (the head)
okulo noun eye du okuloj (two eyes)
orelo noun ear du oreloj (two ears)
nazo noun nose la nazo
buŝo noun mouth la buŝo
dento noun tooth dentoj (teeth)
lango noun tongue la lango
kolo noun neck la kolo
ŝultro noun shoulder du ŝultroj
brako noun arm du brakoj
mano noun hand du manoj
fingro noun finger dek fingroj
brusto noun chest la brusto
stomako noun stomach la stomako
dorso noun back la dorso
kruro noun leg du kruroj
genuо noun knee du genuoj
piedo noun foot du piedoj
koro noun heart la koro
pulmo noun lung du pulmoj

Health Vocabulary

Esperanto Type English Example Sentence
malsano noun illness / disease Li havas malsanon.
malsana adjective sick / ill Mi estas malsana hodiaŭ.
sana adjective healthy / well Ŝi estas sana nun.
doloro noun pain / ache Mi sentas doloron.
febro noun fever Li havas febron.
tuso noun cough Mi havas tuson.
kataro noun cold (illness) Ŝi havas kataron.
kuracisto noun doctor La kuracisto helpas min.
dentisto noun dentist Mi iras al la dentisto.
apoteko noun pharmacy La apoteko estas proksime.
medikamento noun medicine / medication Prenu tiun medikamenton.
recepto noun prescription La kuracisto skribas recepton.
operacio noun operation / surgery Li bezonas operacion.
bandaĝo noun bandage Metu bandaĝon sur la vundon.
vundo noun wound / injury La vundo estas profunda.
alergіо noun allergy Mi havas alergiojn.

Grammar Focus

Pattern 1: Expressing Pain — doloras al mi (Dative Construction)

In Esperanto, pain is expressed using the verb dolori (to hurt / to ache) with an indirect object (dative) meaning "to me." The body part is the subject of the verb.

Formula:

[Body part] + doloras + al + [person]

Examples:

Esperanto English
Doloras al mi la kapo. My head hurts. (lit. The head hurts to me.)
Doloras al mi la stomako. My stomach hurts.
Doloras al ŝi la gorĝo. Her throat hurts.
Doloras al li la kruro. His leg hurts.
Doloras al ni la okuloj. Our eyes hurt.

The body part can also come first:

  • La kapo doloras al mi. — same meaning, slightly more emphatic on the body part.

With havi (to have): Another common construction:

  • Mi havas kapdoloron. (I have a headache.) — using compound noun kap-dolor-o
  • Li havas stomakaĉon. (He has a stomachache.)

Common Mistake: Translating word-for-word from English and making the person the subject:

  • Incorrect: Mi doloras en la kapo. (grammatically odd — "I hurt in the head")
  • Correct: Doloras al mi la kapo. OR Mi havas kapdoloron.

Pattern 2: The -ist- Suffix — Professions and Specialists

The suffix -ist- added to a noun or verb root creates a word meaning "a person who specialises in or regularly does [that thing]."

Formula:

[root] + -ist- + -o (noun ending)

Root Esperanto Word English
kurac- (to cure/treat) kuracisto doctor
dent- (tooth) dentisto dentist
farm- (pharmacy) farmacisto pharmacist
muzik- (music) muzikisto musician
instrukt- (to instruct) instruisto teacher
ĵurnal- (journal/news) ĵurnalisto journalist
art- (art) artisto artist
sport- (sport) sportisto athlete / sportsperson
turist- (tourism) turisto tourist
programist- programisto programmer

Examples in sentences:

Esperanto English
La kuracisto skribas recepton. The doctor writes a prescription.
Mi vizitas la dentiston mardon. I visit the dentist on Tuesday.
La farmacisto donas medikamenton. The pharmacist gives (me) medicine.

Common Mistake: Confusing -ist- (practitioner) with -er- (doer of a single act) or leaving out -ist- entirely:

  • Kuristo = a runner (one who runs) — from kuri (to run)
  • Kuracisto = a doctor (one who practises medicine) — from kuraci (to treat medically)

Pattern 3: Senti min + Adjective (I feel + adjective)

To express how you feel physically or emotionally, use senti sin (to feel oneself) with a predicate adjective. In the first person, sin becomes min (myself).

Formula:

Subject + sentas + min/vin/sin + [adjective]

Esperanto English
Mi sentas min malsana. I feel sick.
Ŝi sentas sin laca. She feels tired.
Li sentas sin bone. He feels well.
Ni sentas nin malbone. We feel bad (unwell).
Ĉu vi sentas vin bone? Do you feel well?

Common short form: Kiel vi fartas? (How are you? / How do you do?) — fartas is the standard word for general wellbeing.

  • Mi fartas bone. (I am doing well.)
  • Mi fartas malbone. (I am not doing well.)

Common Mistake: Using just senti without min/sin:

  • Incorrect: Mi sentas malsana. (I feel sick — grammatically incomplete)
  • Correct: Mi sentas min malsana.

Dialogue

Ĉe la kuracisto (At the doctor's)

Kuracisto: Bonan tagon! Kio estas la problemo? Good day! What is the problem?

Paciento: Bonan tagon, doktoro. Mi sentas min tre malsana. Doloras al mi la gorĝo kaj mi havas febron. Good day, doctor. I feel very sick. My throat hurts and I have a fever.

Kuracisto: Ekde kiam vi estas malsana? Since when have you been sick?

Paciento: Ekde hieraŭ matene. Ankaŭ mi havas tuson. Since yesterday morning. I also have a cough.

Kuracisto: Ĉu doloras al vi la kapo? Does your head hurt?

Paciento: Jes, iom. Kaj mi sentas min tre laca. Yes, a little. And I feel very tired.

Kuracisto: Mi vidas. Malfermu la buŝon, bonvolu. Diru "aaa"... I see. Open your mouth, please. Say "aaa"...

Paciento: Aaaah. Aaaah.

Kuracisto: Via gorĝo estas ruĝa. Vi probable havas virusan infekton. Mi skribas recepton. Your throat is red. You probably have a viral infection. I am writing a prescription.

Paciento: Ĉu mi bezonas medikamentojn? Do I need medicine?

Kuracisto: Jes. Prenu tiujn medikamentojn trifoje ĉiutage. Ankaŭ trinku multe da akvo kaj ripozu. Yes. Take this medicine three times a day. Also drink lots of water and rest.

Paciento: Dankon, doktoro. Ĝis la revido. Thank you, doctor. Goodbye.

Practice

Exercise 1: Express the Pain

Translate into Esperanto using doloras al mi.

  1. My stomach hurts.
  2. Her head hurts.
  3. His leg hurts.
  4. My teeth hurt.
  5. Our eyes hurt.

Answers:

  1. Doloras al mi la stomako.
  2. Doloras al ŝi la kapo.
  3. Doloras al li la kruro.
  4. Doloras al mi la dentoj.
  5. Doloras al ni la okuloj.

Exercise 2: Build Words with -ist-

Create the Esperanto profession word from the root.

  1. dent- (tooth)
  2. muzik- (music)
  3. ĵurnal- (journal)
  4. art- (art)
  5. turism- (tourism)

Answers: 1. dentisto 2. muzikisto 3. ĵurnalisto 4. artisto 5. turisto

Exercise 3: How Do You Feel?

Write complete sentences using senti min + adjective or havi + symptom.

  1. You feel well. (vi)
  2. She feels tired.
  3. I have a fever.
  4. He feels sick.
  5. We feel better now.

Answers:

  1. Vi sentas vin bone.
  2. Ŝi sentas sin laca.
  3. Mi havas febron.
  4. Li sentas sin malsana.
  5. Ni sentas nin pli bone nun.

Cultural Note

Esperanto in Medicine and Humanitarian Work

Esperanto has a quiet but genuine presence in international healthcare. The Internacia Medicina Esperanto-Asocio (IMEA) connects doctors, nurses, and health workers who use Esperanto across borders. At disaster relief sites and international medical conferences, Esperanto has occasionally been used as a neutral bridge language where no common tongue exists. The Esperanto name for "doctor" — kuracisto — reflects the language's transparent word-building: kuraci (to treat / to cure) + -ist- (practitioner). Every word in Esperanto has a reason, which is why medical professionals who learn the language often find the terminology especially logical and easy to absorb.