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- How to say “I am sick” and describe being unwell in Farsi
- Common everyday illnesses — cold, flu, headache, stomach ache, allergies
- Chronic conditions vocabulary — diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, heart disease
- Mental health vocabulary in Persian — anxiety, depression, stress
- How to describe pain intensity and type to a Persian-speaking doctor
- Persian phrases for talking about health with family and friends
Common Health Problems in Farsi: Symptoms, Illnesses & How to Talk About Being Unwell
Whether you need to tell a doctor what is wrong, explain to a Persian-speaking family member that you are unwell, or understand what a patient is describing — this guide covers the vocabulary of illness and health problems from the patient’s perspective.
This page focuses on: symptoms, conditions, and how to describe being unwell. For hospital departments, medical procedures, and doctor-patient conversations in clinical settings, see the hospital vocabulary guide. For a searchable medical term lookup, use the Persian Medical Dictionary.
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| بیمار | Bimār | Sick / Ill / Patient | Both “sick” (adjective) and “patient” (noun) — من بیمارم = I am sick |
| مریض | Mariz | Sick / Unwell (colloquial) | More colloquial than بیمار — used in everyday speech |
| حالم خوب نیست | Hālam khub nist | I don’t feel well | The most natural everyday phrase for feeling unwell |
| حالم بد است | Hālam bad ast | I feel bad / I’m not well | — |
| ناخوش | Nākhosh | Unwell / Under the weather | Softer than مریض — often used for mild illness |
| مریض احوال | Mariz-ahvāl | Under the weather / Poorly | Formal/polite way to say someone is unwell |
| سالم | Sālem | Healthy / Well | سلامتی (salāmati) = health — raised in a toast |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| سرماخوردگی | Sarmā-khordegi | Common cold | Literally “cold-eating” — the most common illness in Persian speech |
| آنفولانزا | Ānfolānzā | Flu / Influenza | From French — universally understood |
| سردرد | Sardard | Headache | Compound: سر (head) + درد (pain) |
| دلدرد | Del-dard | Stomach ache | دل = belly/heart — colloquial for stomach pain |
| درد شکم | Dard-e shekam | Abdominal pain | More medical term for stomach pain |
| گلودرد | Galu-dard | Sore throat | گلو (throat) + درد (pain) |
| دنداندرد | Dandān-dard | Toothache | — |
| کمردرد | Kamar-dard | Back pain / Backache | One of the most common health complaints in Iran |
| تب | Tab | Fever / High temperature | تب دارم = I have a fever |
| سرفه | Sarfe | Cough | سرفه میکنم = I am coughing |
| عفونت | Ofunat | Infection | عفونت گلو = throat infection |
| حساسیت / آلرژی | Hassāsiyat / Ālerji | Allergy | Both terms used — آلرژی is the modern borrowed word |
| یبوست | Yobust | Constipation | — |
| اسهال | Es-hāl | Diarrhoea | — |
| خستگی مفرط | Khastegi-ye mofrat | Exhaustion / Extreme fatigue | — |
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| دیابت / قند | Diābet / Ghand | Diabetes | قند (sugar) is the colloquial term — widely used by patients |
| فشار خون بالا | Feshār-e khun-e bālā | High blood pressure | Hypertension — extremely common in Iran |
| فشار خون پایین | Feshār-e khun-e pāyin | Low blood pressure | Hypotension |
| بیماری قلبی | Bimāri-ye ghalbi | Heart disease | — |
| آسم | Āsm | Asthma | — |
| آرتروز | Ārtoroz | Arthritis | Common in elderly Iranians — often called درد مفاصل (joint pain) |
| کمخونی | Kam-khuni | Anaemia | Literally “low blood” — common in women and frequently discussed |
| سنگ کلیه | Sang-e koliye | Kidney stone | Extremely common in Iran due to climate and diet |
| سرطان | Saratān | Cancer | — |
| تیروئید | Tiroyed | Thyroid (disease) | بیماری تیروئید = thyroid condition — very commonly discussed |
Mental health vocabulary in Persian is an area where language is still evolving — there is growing awareness in Iranian society, and understanding the terms helps both patients and healthcare providers communicate more effectively about psychological wellbeing.
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| افسردگی | Afsordegi | Depression | From افسرده = downcast/withered — a poetic word that entered clinical use |
| اضطراب | Eztarāb | Anxiety | — |
| استرس | Estres | Stress | From English — universally understood and used colloquially |
| بیخوابی | Bi-khābi | Insomnia / Sleep disorder | Literally “without sleep” — extremely common complaint |
| وسواس | Vasvās | OCD / Obsessive thoughts | Also means “whisper of doubt” in classical Persian — rich literary history |
| روانپزشک | Ravān-pezeshk | Psychiatrist | Literally “soul-doctor” |
| روانشناس | Ravān-shenās | Psychologist | Literally “soul-knower” |
| درمان | Darmān | Treatment / Therapy | رواندرمانی = psychotherapy |
Being able to describe the type and intensity of pain is as important as naming the location. These adjectives and phrases help patients communicate more precisely with Persian-speaking healthcare providers:
| Farsi Script | Pronunciation | English Pain Type |
|---|---|---|
| درد تیز | Dard-e tiz | Sharp pain |
| درد مبهم | Dard-e mobham | Dull / Aching pain |
| درد ضربانی | Dard-e zarabāni | Throbbing pain |
| سوزش | Suzesh | Burning sensation |
| کشش | Keshesh | Pulling / Tugging pain |
| بیحسی | Bi-hessi | Numbness |
| درد شدید | Dard-e shadid | Severe pain |
| درد خفیف | Dard-e khafif | Mild pain |
| درد مداوم | Dard-e madāvam | Constant / Persistent pain |
| درد گاهبهگاه | Dard-e gāh-be-gāh | Intermittent pain |
Learn to Talk About Health in Persian — with a Native Tutor
Danaa School’s native tutors help you communicate about health, symptoms, and wellbeing in Persian — essential vocabulary for diaspora families, healthcare professionals, and travellers. Book a free trial.
Book a Free Trial Lesson →The most natural everyday phrase is حالم خوب نیست (Hālam khub nist — I don’t feel well). More directly: مریضم (Marizem — I am sick, colloquial) or بیمارم (Bimāram — I am ill, slightly more formal). To specify the illness: سرما خوردم (Sarmā khordam — I’ve caught a cold).
سردرد دارم (Sardard dāram) — literally “I have head-pain.” Persian forms many illness names as body-part + درد (pain) compounds: سردرد (headache), گلودرد (sore throat), دنداندرد (toothache), کمردرد (back pain). Knowing this pattern gives you the ability to describe pain in many locations immediately.
تب دارم (Tab dāram — I have a fever). To describe the temperature: تبم سیوهشت است (Tabam si-o-hasht ast — My fever is 38°C). Iran uses Celsius. A high fever would be تب بالا دارم (Tab-e bālā dāram — I have a high fever).
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