Bengali Phrases for Illness and Emergencies
Phrases you hope not to need, which is exactly why they are worth reading once in advance. Bengali describes pain by pointing at the part and adding one word, which makes this easier than it looks.
| English | Bengali | In English letters |
|---|---|---|
| Help! | সাহায্য করুন | shahajjo korun |
| I need a doctor | আমার ডাক্তার দরকার | amar daktar dorkar |
| Call an ambulance | অ্যাম্বুলেন্স ডাকুন | ambulance dakun |
| Where is the hospital? | হাসপাতাল কোথায়? | hashpatal kothay? |
| I am ill | আমার শরীর খারাপ | amar shorir kharap |
| It hurts here | এখানে ব্যথা | ekhane betha |
| Headache | মাথা ব্যথা | matha betha |
| Stomach ache | পেট ব্যথা | pet betha |
| Fever | জ্বর | jor |
| I am vomiting | বমি হচ্ছে | bomi hochhe |
| I cannot breathe | শ্বাস নিতে পারছি না | shash nite parchhi na |
| I am allergic to … | আমার … এলার্জি আছে | amar … allergy achhe |
| Medicine | ওষুধ | oshudh |
| Pharmacy | ফার্মেসি | pharmacy |
| How many times a day? | দিনে কয়বার? | dine koybar? |
| Before / after food | খাবার আগে / পরে | khabar age / pore |
| Please call my family | আমার পরিবারকে ফোন করুন | amar poribarke phone korun |
What a phrasebook will not tell you
Pain is described by pointing and adding 'betha'
Betha (ব্যথা) means pain, and it attaches to the body part: matha betha (head), pet betha (stomach), dat betha (tooth), pith betha (back). If you know the word for the part, you can describe the pain. If you do not, point and say ekhane betha ('pain here') — that is what Bengali speakers do too.
Numbers worth having before you need them
999 is the national emergency line in Bangladesh, for police, fire and ambulance, and operators generally speak some English. 16263 is the government health helpline. Ambulance response outside the big cities is limited, and in practice people often take a CNG or a private car to the hospital rather than wait.
Pharmacies dispense far more freely than you expect
Many medicines that need a prescription elsewhere are sold over the counter here, and a pharmacist will often suggest a treatment directly. That is convenient and it is also a risk: antibiotics are handed out for viral illness routinely, which is one reason resistance is a serious problem in Bangladesh. For anything beyond a headache, see a doctor rather than a counter.
Say what you are allergic to slowly, in English
Drug names are the same in both languages, and English is safer for them than an approximate Bengali pronunciation. Write it down if you can. Amar penicillin allergy achhe will be understood exactly as intended.
Questions
What is the emergency number in Bangladesh?
999 for police, fire and ambulance. 16263 is the government health helpline. Operators usually speak some English.
How do you say I am in pain in Bengali?
Ekhane betha ('pain here') while pointing, or name the part: matha betha for a headache, pet betha for a stomach ache.
How do I say I have a fever?
Amar jor hoyechhe (আমার জ্বর হয়েছে) — 'I have got a fever'. Jor is fever.
Do doctors in Bangladesh speak English?
Almost all of them do — medical education is in English. Nurses and pharmacy staff vary. In a city hospital you can usually explain the problem in English.