Pharmacy & Health

1. የራስ ምታት መድሃኒት አለ?

   Ye-ras mitat medhanit ale?

   Do you have headache medicine?

   Usage

   Ask for headache medicine at an Ethiopian pharmacy (farmasi)

   Grammar Note

   Amharic is Ethiopia's official language with SOV word order

2. የሆድ ሕመም መድሃኒት እፈልጋለሁ

   Ye-hod himem medhanit ifeligalehu

   I need stomach medicine

   Usage

   Use when you need stomach medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Ifelligalehu" = "I want/need" — first person present in Amharic

3. ለተቅማጥ መድሃኒት እፈልጋለሁ

   Le-teqmat medhanit ifeligalehu

   I need anti-diarrhea medicine

   Usage

   Ask for anti-diarrhea medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Le" is a preposition meaning "for/regarding"

4. ትኩሳት አለኝ

   Tikusat alegn

   I have a fever

   Usage

   Tell the pharmacist you have a fever

   Grammar Note

   "Alegn" = "I have" — Amharic expresses possession this way

5. አለርጂ አለኝ

   Alerji alegn

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Inform the pharmacist about your allergy

   Grammar Note

   "Alerji" is borrowed from English "allergy". "Le...alerji negn" = "I am allergic to..."

6. ፕላስተር እፈልጋለሁ

   Plasiter ifelligalehu

   I need bandages/plasters

   Usage

   Ask for bandages or plasters at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Plasiter" is borrowed from English "plaster"

7. ነፍሳት ማባረሪያ እፈልጋለሁ

   Nefsat mabareriya ifeligalehu

   I need insect repellent

   Usage

   Ask for insect repellent at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   Malaria is endemic in parts of Ethiopia, making insect repellent important

8. የፀሐይ ቅባት እፈልጋለሁ

   Ye-tsehay kibat ifelligalehu

   I need sunscreen

   Usage

   Ask for sunscreen at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Ye" is a possessive prefix. "Ye-tsehay" = "of the sun"

9. ይህን መድሃኒት እንዴት እወስዳለሁ?

   Yihin medhanit indet iwesdalehu?

   How do I take this medicine?

   Usage

   Ask the pharmacist how to take the medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Indet" means "how" in Amharic

10. የሐኪም ትዕዛዝ ያስፈልጋል?

    Ye-hakim ti'izaz yasfeligal?

    Do I need a prescription?

    Usage

    Check if a prescription is needed

    Grammar Note

    "Hakim" means "doctor" — borrowed from Arabic

11. የመድሃኒት ማዘዣ

    yemedhanit mazezha

    Prescription

    Usage

    The prescription slip itself, also when asking a doctor to write one

12. መድሃኒት ቤት

    medhanit bet

    Pharmacy

    Usage

    Show it when asking where a pharmacy is

13. ቴርሞሜትር

    termometer

    Thermometer

    Usage

    For buying one at a pharmacy

14. ፋሻ

    fasha

    Bandage

    Usage

    For dressing a wound; an adhesive plaster is plaster

15. የሕክምና አልኮል

    yehikimina alkol

    Rubbing alcohol / antiseptic

    Usage

    Without yehikimina it can be mistaken for drinking alcohol

16. ማስክ

    mask

    Face mask

    Usage

    For buying one at a pharmacy

17. ሞዴስ

    modes

    Sanitary pads

    Usage

    A brand name, but the term actually understood in Ethiopia

18. ኮንዶም

    kondom

    Condom

    Usage

    Lets you buy them without saying it out loud

19. የዓይን ጠብታ

    ye'ayin tebta

    Eye drops

    Usage

    Useful in the dry, dusty highlands

20. የህመም ማስታገሻ ቅባት

    yehimem mastagesha kibat

    Pain-relief ointment

    Usage

    There is no Japanese-style medicated patch here; ointment is the equivalent

21. የትኩሳት ማስታገሻ

    yetikusat mastagesha

    Fever reducer

    Usage

    For asking a pharmacist for something to bring a fever down

22. ለሆድ ድርቀት መድሃኒት እፈልጋለሁ

    Le-hod dirket medhanit ifeligalehu

    A laxative, please

    Usage

    Ask for a laxative at a pharmacy

    Grammar Note

    Same pattern as "ለተቅማጥ መድሃኒት እፈልጋለሁ" (I need anti-diarrhea medicine), with "ተቅማጥ" replaced by "ሆድ ድርቀት" (constipation). "ለ" means "for".

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