Arabic A2, Unit 10: At the doctor

At the doctor

Arabic A2 · Unit 10

GoalAsk what is wrong and talk about the doctor, the hospital and medicine.

New words

طَبِيب (ṭabīb) · doctor (m.)طَبِيبَة (ṭabība) · doctor (f.)مَرِيض (marīḍ) · sick, illدَوَاء (dawāʾ) · medicineمُسْتَشْفَى (mustashfā) · hospitalصَيْدَلِيَّة (ṣaydaliyya) · pharmacyمَوْعِد (mawʿid) · appointmentمَا بِك؟ (mā bika?) · what is wrong with you? (to a man)

Explanation

To ask “What is wrong?” we use مَا بِـ with an ending. To a man we say مَا بِك؟ and to a woman مَا بِكِ؟ About another person we say مَا بِه؟ “what is wrong with him?” and مَا بِهَا؟ “with her?”. The answer can be أَنَا مَرِيض, and a woman says أَنَا مَرِيضَة. Doctor is طَبِيب for a man and طَبِيبَة for a woman. You go to the doctor with ذَهَبْتُ إِلَى الطَّبِيب, and you say عِنْدِي مَوْعِد to say you have an appointment.

Who	Ask	Answer
you (m.)	مَا بِك؟	أَنَا مَرِيض
you (f.)	مَا بِكِ؟	أَنَا مَرِيضَة
he	مَا بِه؟	هُوَ مَرِيض
she	مَا بِهَا؟	هِيَ مَرِيضَة

Worked examples

Karim

صَبَاح الْخَيْر. عِنْدِي مَوْعِد.

Nurse

أَهْلًا يَا كَرِيم. الطَّبِيب هُنَا.

Doctor

مَا بِك يَا كَرِيم؟

Karim

أَنَا مَرِيض.

Karim comes to the clinic. Press each line.

Past and place: the doctor, the hospital, the pharmacy.

Asking about a friend.

Class activity

Role play: one of you is the doctor and one is the patient. The doctor asks مَا بِك؟ or مَا بِكِ؟ and the patient answers with أَنَا مَرِيض or أَنَا مَرِيضَة. Then change roles. Write the dialogue in four lines.

Practice

Press Listen. Who works with the doctor in the hospital?

Write in Arabic: “What is wrong with her?”

The picture shows a hospital. Write the Arabic word.

A woman says she is sick. Write what she says.

The picture shows medicine. Write “This is medicine.”

Health and the body

At the doctor