Brazilian Portuguese Health Vocabulary for Everyday Situations
Learning Brazilian Portuguese health vocabulary is essential for travelers, students, expats, and anyone who wants to communicate clearly in Brazil. Whether you need to explain symptoms, visit a doctor, buy medicine, or ask for help in an emergency, knowing the right words can make the situation much easier.
This guide focuses on useful vocabulary related to illnesses, medical appointments, injuries, first aid, hospitals, and medical specialties. Some words from European Portuguese have also been adapted to more natural Brazilian Portuguese usage.
Common Illnesses and Symptoms in Brazilian Portuguese
When talking about health in Brazil, you will often use the word doença, which means illness or disease. You can also use sintoma for symptom.
Basic illness vocabulary
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| a doença | illness |
| a febre | fever |
| a dor de cabeça | headache |
| a tosse | cough |
| o espirro | sneeze |
| o resfriado | cold |
| a gripe | flu |
| a asma | asthma |
| a náusea | nausea |
| as cãibras | cramps |
| a diarreia | diarrhea |
| a dor de estômago | stomachache |
| a alergia | allergy |
| a infecção | infection |
| o vírus | virus |
| a enxaqueca | migraine |
| a diabetes | diabetes |
| o eczema | eczema |
Brazilian Portuguese note: “constipação”
In Portugal, a constipação can mean a cold. In Brazil, this is not the best word for that meaning. Brazilians usually say o resfriado for a cold.
In Brazil, constipação is more commonly connected to constipation, especially in medical contexts. So, for Brazilian Portuguese learners, use:
Eu estou resfriado.
I have a cold.
Ela está com gripe.
She has the flu.
Useful Phrases to Talk About Symptoms
When you are sick, you need to explain what you feel. In Brazilian Portuguese, a very common structure is:
Estou com + symptom/illness
Examples
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| Estou com febre. | I have a fever. |
| Estou com dor de cabeça. | I have a headache. |
| Estou com tosse. | I have a cough. |
| Estou com náusea. | I feel nauseous. |
| Estou com gripe. | I have the flu. |
| Estou com dor de estômago. | I have a stomachache. |
| Estou com alergia. | I have an allergy. |
Another useful phrase is:
Dói aqui.
It hurts here.
This is very helpful if you do not know the exact name of the body part in Portuguese.
Medical Appointment Vocabulary in Brazilian Portuguese
If you need to visit a doctor in Brazil, the most important word is consulta, which means appointment or medical consultation.
Doctor visit vocabulary
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| o médico / a médica | doctor |
| a consulta médica | medical appointment |
| o consultório | doctor’s office |
| a sala de espera | waiting room |
| o paciente / a paciente | patient |
| o enfermeiro / a enfermeira | nurse |
| a receita médica | prescription |
| o termômetro | thermometer |
| a vacina | vaccine |
| o exame médico | medical examination |
| o aparelho auditivo | hearing aid |
| a balança | scale |
| o aparelho de pressão | blood pressure monitor |
Brazilian Portuguese note: “doente” vs. “paciente”
The word doente means sick person, but in Brazil, in a medical appointment, people usually say paciente.
More natural in Brazil:
O médico atendeu o paciente.
The doctor saw the patient.
Essential Doctor Visit Phrases
These phrases are practical for real-life situations in Brazil.
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| Preciso consultar um médico. | I need to see a doctor. |
| Preciso marcar uma consulta. | I need to schedule an appointment. |
| Onde fica o consultório? | Where is the doctor’s office? |
| Estou com dor. | I am in pain. |
| Dói aqui. | It hurts here. |
| Você tem uma receita médica? | Do you have a prescription? |
| Preciso de um exame médico. | I need a medical exam. |
Injury Vocabulary in Brazilian Portuguese
The word lesão means injury, but in everyday Brazilian Portuguese, people also use machucado or ferimento, depending on the situation.
Common injury words
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| a lesão | injury |
| o machucado | injury / hurt area |
| a entorse | sprain |
| a fratura | fracture |
| o corte | cut |
| o arranhão | scratch |
| a queimadura | burn |
| a queimadura de sol | sunburn |
| a mordida | bite |
| a picada | sting / bite |
| a bolha | blister |
| o hematoma / a marca roxa | bruise |
| a farpa | splinter |
| o ferimento na cabeça | head injury |
| a concussão | concussion |
| o choque elétrico | electric shock |
| a hemorragia | bleeding / hemorrhage |
Brazilian Portuguese note: “nódoa negra”
In Portugal, nódoa negra is used for bruise. In Brazil, people usually say hematoma or marca roxa.
More natural in Brazil:
Fiquei com uma marca roxa no braço.
I got a bruise on my arm.
Emergency and First Aid Vocabulary
Knowing first aid vocabulary in Portuguese can be very useful in emergencies. The phrase primeiros socorros means first aid.
First-aid kit vocabulary
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| os primeiros socorros | first aid |
| a caixa de primeiros socorros | first-aid box |
| o curativo | dressing / bandage |
| o Band-Aid / o curativo adesivo | adhesive bandage |
| a gaze | gauze |
| a atadura | bandage |
| o esparadrapo / a fita adesiva médica | adhesive tape |
| o antisséptico | antiseptic |
| a pomada | ointment |
| a tesoura | scissors |
| a pinça | tweezers |
| o alfinete de segurança | safety pin |
| os analgésicos | painkillers |
| a tala | splint |
| esterilizado / esterilizada | sterile |
| a respiração | breathing |
| a pulsação | pulse |
| inconsciente | unconscious |
| sufocar | to choke |
Brazilian Portuguese note: “penso rápido”
In European Portuguese, penso rápido means adhesive bandage. In Brazil, people often say Band-Aid, curativo, or curativo adesivo.
Emergency Phrases in Brazilian Portuguese
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| Pode me ajudar? | Can you help me? |
| Por favor, chame uma ambulância. | Please call an ambulance. |
| É uma emergência. | It is an emergency. |
| Onde dói? | Where does it hurt? |
| Ele vai ficar bem? | Will he be all right? |
| Ela está inconsciente. | She is unconscious. |
| Você sabe primeiros socorros? | Do you know first aid? |
Hospital Vocabulary in Brazilian Portuguese
The word hospital is the same in Portuguese and English, but the pronunciation is different. In Brazilian Portuguese, the “h” is silent: ospital.
Hospital words
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| o hospital | hospital |
| a sala de emergência / o pronto-socorro | emergency room |
| a sala de operações / o centro cirúrgico | operating room |
| a enfermaria | ward |
| a maca | stretcher / gurney |
| a cadeira de rodas | wheelchair |
| a ficha do paciente | patient chart |
| a análise de sangue | blood test |
| a injeção | injection |
| a radiografia / o raio-X | x-ray |
| o exame de imagem | scan |
| a cirurgia | surgery |
| a operação | operation |
| internado / internada | admitted |
| com alta | discharged |
| as horas de visita | visiting hours |
| a maternidade | maternity ward |
| a UTI | intensive care unit |
| o quarto particular | private room |
| o paciente externo / a paciente externa | outpatient |
Brazilian Portuguese note: “sala de urgências”
In Brazil, people usually say pronto-socorro, emergência, or sala de emergência instead of sala de urgências.
Example:
Ele foi para o pronto-socorro.
He went to the emergency room.
Medical Departments and Specialists in Brazilian Portuguese
If you need a specialist, it is useful to know the names of medical departments in Portuguese.
Medical specialties
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| a cardiologia | cardiology |
| a dermatologia | dermatology |
| a pediatria | pediatrics |
| a radiologia | radiology |
| a ortopedia | orthopedics |
| a ginecologia | gynecology |
| a fisioterapia | physical therapy |
| a cirurgia | surgery |
| a maternidade | maternity |
| a psiquiatria | psychiatry |
| a oftalmologia | ophthalmology |
| a neurologia | neurology |
| a oncologia | oncology |
| a urologia | urology |
| a endocrinologia | endocrinology |
| a patologia | pathology |
| a cirurgia plástica | plastic surgery |
Specialist vocabulary
| Português Brasileiro | English |
|---|---|
| o especialista / a especialista | specialist |
| o encaminhamento | referral |
| o resultado | result |
| o exame | test / exam |
Example:
Preciso de um encaminhamento para um especialista.
I need a referral to a specialist.
Brazilian Portuguese vs. European Portuguese: Important Health Vocabulary Differences
Some health words are different or more natural in Brazil. Here are the most important ones from this lesson.
| European Portuguese | Brazilian Portuguese | English |
|---|---|---|
| a constipação | o resfriado | cold |
| a tensão arterial | a pressão arterial | blood pressure |
| a varicela | a catapora | chickenpox |
| a papeira | a caxumba | mumps |
| a nódoa negra | o hematoma / a marca roxa | bruise |
| o penso rápido | o Band-Aid / o curativo adesivo | adhesive bandage |
| a ligadura | a atadura | bandage |
| a sala de urgências | o pronto-socorro | emergency room |
| o doente | o paciente | patient |
How to Memorize Brazilian Portuguese Health Vocabulary
The best way to learn health vocabulary is to study it by situation. Instead of memorizing isolated words, create small phrases that you may actually use.
For example, instead of only memorizing febre, practice:
Estou com febre.
I have a fever.
Instead of only memorizing médico, practice:
Preciso consultar um médico.
I need to see a doctor.
This makes your Portuguese more natural and useful in real conversations.
Conclusion
Learning Brazilian Portuguese health vocabulary helps you communicate clearly in important situations, from simple symptoms like dor de cabeça and resfriado to doctor visits, hospital vocabulary, injuries, and first aid. For learners of Portuguese, it is especially important to use words that sound natural in Brazil, such as pressão arterial, catapora, caxumba, pronto-socorro, and curativo.
With these words and phrases, you will be better prepared to describe symptoms, ask for help, understand medical instructions, and navigate healthcare situations in Portuguese-speaking environments.
