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A2 · Elementary

At the Pharmacy: Describing Symptoms

Tell the farmacêutico what hurts, ask for the right medicine, and understand the dosage instructions — the green cross is your friend.

📝 Vocabulary

PortugueseEnglishNotes
A farmáciaThe pharmacyLook for the green cross
Dói-me a cabeçaMy head hurts
Estou constipado/aI have a coldFalse friend — not what it sounds like!
A febreThe fever
A tosseThe cough
O comprimidoThe pill / tablet
O xaropeThe syrup
A pomadaThe ointment
A receitaThe prescriptionAlways required for antibiotics
De oito em oito horasEvery eight hours

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💡 Grammar Notes

The Verb "Doer" (To Hurt) Works Backwards

The body part is the subject — it hurts to you:

  • Dói-me a cabeça. (My head hurts — literally "the head hurts to-me.")
  • Doem-me as costas. (My back hurts — costas is plural, so the verb is doem.)

Change who it hurts by changing the pronoun:

  • Dói-te? (Does it hurt you? — informal)
  • Dói-lhe? (Does it hurt you? — formal)

"Ter" + Symptom

For most other symptoms, use ter (to have):

  • Tenho febre. (I have a fever.)
  • Tenho tosse. (I have a cough.)
  • Tenho dor de garganta. (I have a sore throat.)

Asking for Medicine

The all-purpose formula at the counter:

"Tem alguma coisa para a tosse?" (Do you have something for a cough?)

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