Saying What Hurts: Body and Symptom Words
Body parts, kinds of pain and common symptoms you need at the health centre or pharmacy.
To say what hurts you need two things: the body part and the kind of trouble. Learn the body parts with their en/ett, then the words for aches, swelling and other symptoms — and where to go with them.
- 1
ett huvud
a head
Tip: Ett-word. Pain here is a compound with 'ache'.
- 2
ett öra
an ear
Tip: Ett-word with an irregular plural: two of them are 'öron'.
- 3
en tand
a tooth
Tip: Irregular plural with a vowel change, like tooth/teeth.
- 4
en hals
a throat
Tip: Also the neck in general. A sore throat is pain 'in' this.
- 5
en nacke
the back of the neck
Tip: The back part of the neck — where tension sits.
- 6
en axel
a shoulder
Tip: Same word as an axle on a car.
- 7
en rygg
a back
Tip: The body part. Backpack = 'back-sack'.
- 8
bröstet
the chest
Tip: Definite form, as in chest pain. Without the article the word can also mean a breast.
- 9
en mage
a stomach, tummy
Tip: Used for both stomach and belly.
- 10
ett knä
a knee
Tip: Ett-word. The definite form drops the last vowel in speech.
- 11
en fot
a foot
Tip: Irregular plural with a vowel change, like foot/feet.
- 12
en led
a joint
Tip: Knees, hips, fingers — anywhere that bends.
- 13
att ha ont
to be in pain, to hurt
Tip: Literally 'to have bad'. The key phrase: you have it 'in' a body part.
- 14
en smärta
a pain
Tip: The general, slightly formal word. Nurses use it.
- 15
en värk
an ache
Tip: A dull, lasting ache. Joins compounds for head-, tooth- and back-ache.
- 16
öm
sore, tender
Tip: Hurts when touched or used, like muscles after training.
- 17
stel
stiff
Tip: Joints in the morning, a neck after a bad night.
- 18
svullen
swollen
Tip: Takes -t with ett-words and -a in the plural.
- 19
hög feber
a high temperature, fever
Tip: The noun is an en-word, used without an article.
- 20
en hosta
a cough
Tip: Same form as the verb 'to cough'.
- 21
en förkylning
a cold
Tip: From the verb 'to catch cold'. Having one = being 'cold-ed'.
- 22
yr
dizzy
Tip: Short and common. The room is spinning.
- 23
illamående
nauseous, feeling sick
Tip: Works as an adjective and a noun. Literally 'ill-feeling'.
- 24
att klia
to itch
Tip: Usually said about the skin: 'it itches'.
- 25
ett utslag
a rash
Tip: Ett-word. Literally 'an out-strike'.
- 26
ett sår
a wound, sore
Tip: A cut, a graze or a sore that won't heal.
- 27
ett blåmärke
a bruise
Tip: Literally 'a blue mark'. Gender from the last part.
- 28
en värktablett
a painkiller
Tip: Literally 'ache tablet'. Gender from the last part.
- 29
ett apotek
a pharmacy
Tip: Ett-word. Often your first stop for small problems.
- 30
en sjuksköterska
a nurse
Tip: Literally 'sick-carer'. On 1177 you usually talk to one.