Masakit ang ulo ko
I have a headache
Usage
Used to describe a headache to a doctor or pharmacist
Grammar Note
"Masakit ang [body part] ko" is the standard pain expression pattern. E.g. "Masakit ang tiyan ko" (stomachache).
Kailangan ko ng doktor
I need a doctor
Usage
Used in emergencies or when feeling ill to ask for medical help
Grammar Note
"Kailangan ko ng ~" means "I need ~". "Ng" marks the object. In emergencies, also know "Tulong!" (Help!).
Mayroon ba kayong painkiller?
Do you have a painkiller?
Usage
Used at a pharmacy to ask for pain relief medication
Grammar Note
In Philippine pharmacies, paracetamol (brand: Biogesic) is common. English drug names are widely understood.
Allergic ako sa penicillin
I am allergic to penicillin
Usage
Essential phrase to inform medical staff about a drug allergy
Grammar Note
"Allergic ako sa ~" blends English into Tagalog — a common code-switching pattern in the Philippines. Replace the allergen as needed.
May lagnat ako
I have a fever
Usage
Used to tell a doctor or others that you have a fever
Grammar Note
"May ~ ako" expresses having something. E.g. "May sakit ako" (I am sick), "May ubo ako" (I have a cough).
Saan ang pinakamalapit na botika?
Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Usage
Used to find a pharmacy while traveling. In the Philippines, pharmacies are called "botika" or "drugstore".
Grammar Note
"Pinaka-" prefix creates superlatives: "pinakamabilis" (fastest), "pinakamasarap" (most delicious).
Nahihilo ako
I feel dizzy
Usage
Used to describe dizziness or lightheadedness to medical staff
Grammar Note
"Nahihilo" uses reduplication (repetition of syllables) to form the present continuous. Reduplication is a key feature of Tagalog grammar.
Puwede bang magpatingin sa doktor?
Can I see a doctor?
Usage
Used to request a medical consultation at a hospital or clinic
Grammar Note
"Puwede bang ~" politely asks for permission, borrowed from Spanish "puede". Medical fees in the Philippines are relatively affordable for tourists.
Masama ang tiyan ko
I have an upset stomach
Usage
Used after food poisoning or traveler's diarrhea, common after eating street food in the Philippines.
Grammar Note
"Masama ang tiyan ko" (my stomach is bad) is the standard way to say you have an upset stomach. Also useful: "Nagsusuka ako" (I am vomiting), "Nagtatae ako" (I have diarrhea).
Mayroon akong travel insurance
I have travel insurance
Usage
Used at Philippine hospitals to inform staff that you have travel insurance coverage
Grammar Note
"Mayroon akong" = "I have". Short form "may" is also common. English medical and insurance terms are widely understood in the Philippines.
Buntis
Pregnant
Usage
Show first at a clinic or pharmacy — it changes what medicine or X-rays are allowed
Hika
Asthma
Usage
Tells medical staff you have asthma as a pre-existing condition
Diabetes
Usage
For declaring diabetes; the English word is used as-is in the Philippines
Altapresyon
High blood pressure
Usage
The everyday Filipino word (from Spanish "alta presión") for high blood pressure
Sakit sa puso
Heart disease
Usage
Tells medical staff you have a heart condition
Epilepsya
Epilepsy
Usage
Declares epilepsy — critical for how bystanders and staff respond to a seizure
Insurance
Usage
Word used at hospital counters; English is used because Tagalog "seguro" (insurance) collides with "siguro" (maybe)
Baling buto
Broken bone
Usage
Says a bone is broken; "buto" (bone) is added because "bali" alone just means bent or snapped
Hirap huminga
Difficulty breathing
Usage
Show this first when you cannot speak because breathing is hard
Hilo
Dizziness
Usage
Reports dizziness or light-headedness
Pagdurugo
Bleeding
Usage
Reports bleeding at a pharmacy or clinic
Paso
Burn (injury)
Usage
A burn injury; "paso" can also mean a flower pot or "expired", but in a medical setting it reads as a burn
Sugat
Wound
Usage
Any cut, graze, or open wound
Tainga
Ear
Usage
Point to identify an ear problem
Leeg
Neck
Usage
Point to identify neck pain
Balikat
Shoulder
Usage
Point to identify shoulder pain
Tuhod
Knee
Usage
Point to identify knee pain or injury
Daliri
Finger
Usage
Finger; Tagalog uses the same word for toes, so a toe is "daliri sa paa"
Balat
Skin
Usage
Skin, for rashes and irritation; the same word means fruit peel, but a clinic context makes it clear
Braso
Arm
Usage
Point to identify pain or injury in the arm
Ilong
Nose
Usage
Point to identify a nose problem such as congestion or a nosebleed
Ubo
Cough
Usage
Reports a cough at a pharmacy or clinic
Nangangati
Itchy
Usage
Reports itching; the adjective "makati" is spelled like Makati City, so the verb form is used here
Pantal
Rash
Usage
Reports a rash or hives
Tibi
Constipation
Usage
Reports constipation at a pharmacy
Regla
Menstruation
Usage
The everyday Filipino word for a period, used at pharmacies for pads or pain relief
Uri ng dugo
Blood type
Usage
Blood type: "uri" is kind or type and "dugo" is blood. You will be asked for it before a transfusion or surgery
Sertipikong medikal
Medical certificate
Usage
A medical certificate issued by a doctor, needed for insurance claims or extending a stay
Pagpapaospital
Hospitalization
Usage
Hospitalization, formed from "ospital" (hospital): having someone admitted
Ngiki
Chills
Usage
Chills: the shivering of the body that comes with a fever or with cold
Sipon
Common cold
Usage
The common cold; the same word also means the nasal discharge itself
Tumawag ka ng doktor!
Please call a doctor
Usage
Asks someone on the spot to call a doctor, for instance when a person has collapsed
Grammar Note
The pattern of Tumawag ka ng pulis!, call the police, with doktor replacing pulis. With this -um- verb, the addressee takes the ang-form and the person called the ng-form.
Nanghihina ako.
My body feels sluggish
Usage
Tells a doctor that you feel weak and listless, as with a fever or exhaustion
Grammar Note
An ongoing-aspect state verb + ang-form ako, as in Nahihilo ako, I feel dizzy. -hihi- reduplication marks ongoing aspect. hina means weakness of body or strength.
Sumuka ako nang ilang beses.
I have vomited several times
Usage
Tells a doctor how many times you have thrown up
Grammar Note
A -um- actor-focus completed form; the actor takes the ang-form. ilang means several; beses counts times. suka means both vinegar and vomit, but sumuka derives only from the latter.
Kailangan ko bang magpahinga?
Do I need to rest?
Usage
Checks with the doctor after an examination whether you need to rest
Grammar Note
Kailangan ko, I need, takes question particle ba and magpahinga, to rest. ba occupies the question slot as in Puwede bang… The root pahinga also occurs in Pahinga muna tayo, let’s rest first. Example: Kailangan ko ng doktor.
Pagtatae
Diarrhea
Usage
The name of the symptom; a word to tell a doctor or pharmacist
Dumi
Poop
Usage
A gentle word for stool, used when describing it to a doctor or when talking about a child. It also means dirt or rubbish
Grammar Note
dumi means feces euphemistically, and dirt or rubbish. tae also means feces but is spelled like the swear tae!, so dumi is gentler. The verb is dumumi, to defecate.
Ihi
Pee
Usage
The everyday word for urine or pee, fine at a clinic or with a child
Grammar Note
ihi means urine or pee; umihi means to urinate. Kailangan kong umihi means I need to pee.
Tibi ako
I'm constipated
Usage
Tells a doctor or pharmacist that you are constipated
Grammar Note
A nominal predicate: tibi, constipation, followed by ang-form ako.
Kailangan kong umihi
I need to pee
Usage
The plain way to tell a companion or a child that you need to pee
Grammar Note
Kailangan ko, I need, takes linker -ng and umihi, to urinate, from noun ihi. Kailangan kong umihi means I need to pee.
Kailangan kong tumae
I need to poop
Usage
The plain way to tell a companion or a child that you need to poop. For something gentler, use "dumumi" instead
Grammar Note
Replace umihi in Kailangan kong umihi with tumae, to defecate. tae is spelled like the swear tae! For a gentler noun use dumi. Example: Kailangan kong tumae.
More Tagalog phrases
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- Basic Nouns
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