Pharmacy & Health

1. തലവേദനയ്ക്ക് മരുന്ന് ഉണ്ടോ?

   Talavēdanaykku marunn uṇṭō?

   Do you have headache medicine?

   Usage

   Ask for headache medicine at a pharmacy in Kerala

   Grammar Note

   Malayalam is Dravidian. "-ō" marks questions. "Talavēdana" = "head" (tala) + "pain" (vēdana)

2. എനിക്ക് വയറ്റിന് മരുന്ന് വേണം

   Enikk vayaṭṭin marunn vēṇam

   I need stomach medicine

   Usage

   Use when you need stomach medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Enikk vēṇam" is a dative construction meaning "I need". Common in Dravidian languages

3. എനിക്ക് വയറിളക്കത്തിന് മരുന്ന് വേണം

   Enikk vayaṟiḷakkattinn marunn vēṇam

   I need anti-diarrhea medicine

   Usage

   Ask for anti-diarrhea medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Vayaṟiḷakkam" is a compound meaning "loosening of the stomach" = diarrhea

4. എനിക്ക് പനി ഉണ്ട്

   Enikk pani uṇṭ

   I have a fever

   Usage

   Tell the pharmacist you have a fever

   Grammar Note

   "Pani" is the native Malayalam word for fever

5. എനിക്ക് അലർജി ഉണ്ട്

   Enikk alarji uṇṭ

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Inform the pharmacist about your allergy

   Grammar Note

   "Alarji" is borrowed from English "allergy"

6. എനിക്ക് ബാൻഡേജ് വേണം

   Enikk bāṇḍēj vēṇam

   I need bandages/plasters

   Usage

   Ask for bandages or plasters at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Bāṇḍēj" is borrowed from English "bandage"

7. എനിക്ക് പ്രാണികളെ അകറ്റുന്ന സ്പ്രേ വേണം

   Enikk prāṇikaḷe akaṟṟunna sprē vēṇam

   I need insect repellent

   Usage

   Ask for insect repellent at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Prāṇikaḷe akaṟṟunna sprē" means "a spray that drives insects away", i.e. insect repellent spray

8. എനിക്ക് സൺസ്ക്രീൻ വേണം

   Enikk saṇskrīn vēṇam

   I need sunscreen

   Usage

   Ask for sunscreen at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Saṇaskarīn" is borrowed from English "sunscreen"

9. ഈ മരുന്ന് എങ്ങനെ കഴിക്കണം?

   Ī marunn eṅṅane kaḻikkaṇam?

   How do I take this medicine?

   Usage

   Ask the pharmacist how to take the medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Eṅṅane" is the Malayalam adverb "how"

10. പ്രെസ്ക്രിപ്ഷൻ ആവശ്യമുണ്ടോ?

    Preskripṣan āvaśyamuṇṭō?

    Do I need a prescription?

    Usage

    Check if a prescription is needed

    Grammar Note

    "Āvaśyam" is a Sanskrit-derived word meaning "necessary"

11. കുറിപ്പടി

    kuṟippaṭi

    Prescription

    Usage

    The doctor's written prescription; the English loan പ്രിസ്ക്രിപ്ഷൻ works equally well

12. മെഡിക്കൽ ഷോപ്പ്

    medical shop

    Pharmacy

    Usage

    What a pharmacy is called in Kerala; the shopfront almost always reads "MEDICALS" or "Medical Store" in English

13. തെർമോമീറ്റർ

    thermometer

    Thermometer

    Usage

    Point at this to buy a thermometer; the English word is what is used

14. ബാൻഡേജ്

    bandage

    Bandage

    Usage

    For bandages and gauze; an adhesive plaster is asked for by the brand name ബാൻഡ്-എയ്ഡ് (Band-Aid)

15. അണുനാശിനി

    anunaashini

    Antiseptic / disinfectant

    Usage

    Asks for wound antiseptic; in practice the brand name ഡെറ്റോൾ (Dettol) is what every shop understands

16. മാസ്ക്

    maask

    Face mask

    Usage

    For disposable face masks, sold at pharmacy and shop counters

17. സാനിറ്ററി പാഡ്

    sanitary pad

    Sanitary pad

    Usage

    What pharmacies and supermarkets actually call it; tampons are rare in Kerala and stocked only by large city stores

18. കോണ്ടം

    kondam

    Condom

    Usage

    Sold at pharmacies; a word that is easier to point at than to say aloud

19. ഐ ഡ്രോപ്സ്

    eye drops

    Eye drops

    Usage

    Asks for eye drops; the box is labelled in English too

20. വേദനസംഹാരി ബാം

    vedanasamhaari baam

    Pain-relief balm

    Usage

    Japanese-style adhesive medicated patches are barely sold in Kerala; muscle pain is treated with a rub-on balm or spray such as Moov or Volini

21. പനിക്കുള്ള മരുന്ന്

    panikkulla marunnu

    Fever medicine

    Usage

    Literally "medicine for fever"; a Kerala pharmacy will hand you paracetamol, usually Dolo 650

22. എനിക്ക് മലബന്ധത്തിന് മരുന്ന് വേണം

    Enikk malabandhattinn marunn vēṇam

    A laxative, please

    Usage

    Asking for a laxative at a pharmacy when constipated

    Grammar Note

    The dative -ttinn on malabandham (constipation) gives "for constipation".

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