Phrases · Dialogue 8 · 11 lines
At the Doctor's
A headache since yesterday gets a checkup and a prescription
Samir — The patient — his head disagrees with him · Huda — The doctor, calm and practical
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- Hudaتَفَضَّل يَا سَمِير، اِجْلِس. مَا بِك؟
תפצ'ל יא סמיר, אג'לס. מא בך?tafaḍḍal yā samīr, ijlis. mā bik?
Come in, Samir, have a seat. What's the matter?
- Samirيَا دُكْتُورَة، رَأْسِي يُؤْلِمُنِي مُنْذُ أَمْس.
יא דכתורה, ראסי יאלמני מנד' אמס.yā duktūra, raʾsī yuʾlimunī mundhu ams.
Doctor, my head has been hurting since yesterday.
The street verb yūjaʿ 'to hurt' is root و-ج-ع, traditionally compared with Hebrew י-ג-ע 'to toil, be worn out' — the same w→y shift as in walad/ילד.
- Hudaمُنْذُ أَمْس فَقَط؟ وَهَل عِنْدَك حَرَارَة أَيْضًا؟
מנד' אמס פקט? והל ענדך חרארה איצ'ן?mundhu ams faqaṭ? wa-hal ʿindak ḥarāra ayḍan?
Only since yesterday? And do you have a fever as well?
- Samirلَا، لَا حَرَارَة. لٰكِنِّي مُتْعَب وَنَوْمِي قَلِيل.
לא, לא חרארה. לאכני מתעב ונומי קליל.lā, lā ḥarāra. lākinnī mutʿab wa-nawmī qalīl.
No, no fever. But I'm tired and I sleep little.
- Hudaكَم كُوب مَاء تَشْرَب فِي الْيَوْم؟
כם כוב מאא תשרב פי אל-יום?kam kūb māʾ tashrab fī l-yawm?
How many glasses of water do you drink a day?
- Samirقَلِيل... رُبَّمَا كُوب وَاحِد فِي الْيَوْم.
קליל... רבמא כוב ואחד פי אל-יום.qalīl... rubbamā kūb wāḥid fī l-yawm.
Not much... maybe one glass a day.
- Hudaهٰذِهِ هِيَ الْمُشْكِلَة! الْجِسْم يَحْتَاج إِلَى مَاء كَثِير. سَأَكْتُب لَك دَوَاء خَفِيف لِلصُّدَاع.
האד'ה הי אל-משכלה! אל-ג'סם יחתאג' אלא מאא כת'יר. סאכתב לך דואא ח'פיף לא-צדאע.hādhihi hiya l-mushkila! al-jism yaḥtāj ilā māʾ kathīr. sa-aktub lak dawāʾ khafīf li-ṣ-ṣudāʿ.
There is the problem! The body needs a lot of water. I'll write you a mild medicine for the headache.
- Samirوَهَل أَحْتَاج إِلَى وَصْفَة لِلصَّيْدَلِيَّة؟
והל אחתאג' אלא וצפה לא-צידליה?wa-hal aḥtāj ilā waṣfa li-ṣ-ṣaydaliyya?
And do I need a prescription for the pharmacy?
- Hudaنَعَم، هٰذِهِ هِيَ الْوَصْفَة. خُذ الدَّوَاء مَرَّتَيْن فِي الْيَوْم بَعْدَ الْأَكْل.
נעם, האד'ה הי אל-וצפה. ח'ד' א-דואא מרתין פי אל-יום בעד אל-אכל.naʿam, hādhihi hiya l-waṣfa. khudh ad-dawāʾ marratayn fī l-yawm baʿda l-akl.
Yes — here is the prescription. Take the medicine twice a day, after eating.
marratayn 'twice' — the dual -ayn, exactly Hebrew פעמיים. Arabic can still dual any noun; Hebrew kept the ending only in fossils like יומיים and שבועיים.
- Samirشُكْرًا يَا دُكْتُورَة. وَمَتَى أَرْجِع إِلَيْك؟
שכרן יא דכתורה. ומתא ארג'ע אליך?shukran yā duktūra. wa-matā arjiʿ ilayk?
Thank you, doctor. And when should I come back to you?
- Hudaبَعْدَ أُسْبُوع إِن لَم تَتَحَسَّن. وَلَا تَنْسَ: مَاء كَثِير وَنَوْم كَثِير!
בעד אסבוע אן לם תתחסן. ולא תנס: מאא כת'יר ונום כת'יר!baʿda usbūʿ in lam tataḥassan. wa-lā tansa: māʾ kathīr wa-nawm kathīr!
In a week, if you don't improve. And don't forget: lots of water and lots of sleep!
usbūʿ is שבוע — the 'seven' root with the regular س↔ש correspondence (as in salām/שלום). The street prefers jumʿa, a Friday-to-Friday week.