Chapter 27: Is-Saħħa u l-Benessri (Health & Well-being)

Knowing how to talk about your health is a crucial skill in any language. This chapter will equip you with the vocabulary to express how you're feeling and to describe common ailments.

Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

Say whether you feel well or sick.
Identify and name common symptoms like a headache, fever, and cough.
Use the structure `Għandi uġigħ ta'...` to describe pain.
Understand basic phrases for interacting with a doctor or pharmacist.

Expressing How You Feel

Here are the fundamental phrases for describing your general state of health.

Maltese Phrase	Phonetic Guide	English
Inħossni tajjeb/tajba.	(in-HOSS-ni TAI-yeb/TAI-ba)	I feel well. (m/f)
Inħossni marid/mardida.	(in-HOSS-ni ma-REED/MAR-di-da)	I feel sick. (m/f)
Jien marid/mardida.	(Yen ma-REED/MAR-di-da)	I am sick. (m/f)
X'għandek?	(sh'AN-dek?)	What's wrong? (Lit: What do you have?)

Common Ailments (Mard Komuni)

To describe a specific pain, the structure is often `Għandi uġigħ ta'...` (I have a pain of...).

Maltese	Phonetic Guide	English
uġigħ	(oo-JEECH)	pain
uġigħ ta' ras	(oo-JEECH ta' ras)	headache
uġigħ ta' stonku	(oo-JEECH ta' STON-ku)	stomach ache
uġigħ ta' dahar	(oo-JEECH ta' DA-har)	backache
deni	(DE-ni)	fever
sogħla	(SO'-la)	cough
riħ	(reeh)	a cold

Example: `Għandi deni u sogħla.` (I have a fever and a cough.)

At the Doctor's / Pharmacy

Maltese	Phonetic Guide	English
tabib	(ta-BEEB)	doctor
spiżerija	(spi-dze-REE-ya)	pharmacy
appuntament	(ap-pun-ta-MENT)	appointment
mediċina	(me-di-CHEE-na)	medicine

Example: `Għandi bżonn nagħmel appuntament mat-tabib.` (I need to make an appointment with the doctor.)

Practice Activities

Recognition Practice:

Exercise 1: What's the problem?

Match the Maltese ailment to its English meaning.

 deni            ( ) cough
 uġigħ ta' ras   ( ) a cold
 sogħla          ( ) fever
 riħ             ( ) headache

deni → fever
uġigħ ta' ras → headache
sogħla → cough
riħ → a cold

Production Practice:

Exercise 2: How do you feel?

Translate the following sentences into Maltese.

I have a stomach ache.
She feels sick.
He needs medicine.

Għandi uġigħ ta' stonku.
Hija tħossha mardida.
Għandu bżonn mediċina.

Cultural Insight: The Role of the Pharmacy (`Spiżerija`)

In Malta, the local pharmacy (`spiżerija`) is a cornerstone of community health. Pharmacies are numerous and easily accessible in every town and village. For minor ailments, many Maltese people will visit their local pharmacist (`spiżjar`) for advice before going to a doctor. Pharmacists in Malta are highly trained professionals who can provide a wide range of advice and over-the-counter medications.

Furthermore, many doctors hold their clinics directly inside pharmacies. Instead of going to a large clinic, you would make an appointment to see a specific doctor at a specific pharmacy on a certain day. This system makes the pharmacy a central hub for community well-being.

Il-Ħin tal-Istorja (Story Time)

Pawlu isn't feeling well and calls his friend Marija.

Ma Nħossnix Tajjeb (I Don't Feel Well)

Marija: Allo Pawlu, kollox sew? (Allo PAW-loo, KOL-losh sew?)

Pawlu: Le, Marija. Illum ma nħossnix tajjeb. Inħossni marid. (Le, Ma-REE-ya. il-LOOM ma n-HOSS-nish TAI-yeb. in-HOSS-ni ma-REED.)

Marija: Oh le! X'għandek? (Oh le! sh'AN-dek?)

Pawlu: Għandi uġigħ ta' ras kbir u ftit deni. (AN-dee oo-JEECH ta' ras kbeer oo ftit DE-ni.)

Marija: Forsi għandek bżonn tara tabib. Għamilt appuntament? (FOR-si AN-dek bzonn TA-ra ta-BEEB. aa-MILT ap-pun-ta-MENT?)

Pawlu: Le, għadni. Se nċempel l-ispiżerija biex nara meta jkun hemm it-tabib. (Le, add-NI. Se n-CHEM-pel lis-pi-dze-REE-ya byesh NA-ra ME-ta ykoon emm it-ta-BEEB.)

Marija: Idea tajba. Strieħ, u kellimni jekk għandek bżonn xi ħaġa. (i-DE-ya TAI-ba. Streeh, oo kel-LIM-ni yek AN-dek bzonn shi HA-ja.)

I Don't Feel Well (Translation)

Marija: Hello Pawlu, is everything alright?

Pawlu: No, Marija. Today I don't feel well. I feel sick.

Marija: Oh no! What's wrong?

Pawlu: I have a big headache and a bit of fever.

Marija: Maybe you need to see a doctor. Did you make an appointment?

Pawlu: No, not yet. I will call the pharmacy to see when the doctor will be there.

Marija: Good idea. Rest, and talk to me if you need anything.

Review and Consolidation

Key Concepts:

To describe pain, use `Għandi uġigħ ta'...` followed by the body part (e.g., `ras`, `stonku`). To describe your state, use `Inħossni...` (I feel...) or `Jien...` (I am...).

Key Vocabulary:

`inħossni` (I feel), `marid` (sick), `uġigħ` (pain), `ras` (head), `stonku` (stomach), `deni` (fever), `sogħla` (cough), `riħ` (a cold), `tabib` (doctor), `spiżerija` (pharmacy), `mediċina` (medicine).

Self-Assessment:

How do you say "I have a backache"? (`Għandi uġigħ ta' dahar.`)
What is the Maltese word for pharmacy? (`spiżerija`)
How do you ask someone "What's wrong?" (`X'għandek?`)

Looking Ahead

Prosit! You can now handle a basic conversation about health. In the next chapter, we will shift topics to the world of work, learning the vocabulary for various jobs and professions in `Ix-Xogħol u l-Professjonijiet`.

Previous Chapter: Adverbs Next Chapter: Work & Professions