Health & the Body in Croatian
Nobody plans to need this vocabulary, which is exactly why it must be automatic. The good news: the grammar is one construction — boli me — plus the dative states you already own.
boli me — It Hurts
The hurting body part is the subject; the sufferer is accusative:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Boli me glava. | I have a headache. (the head hurts me) |
| Boli me grlo. | My throat hurts. |
| Bole me leđa. | My back hurts. (leđa is plural → bole) |
| Boli je zub. | Her tooth hurts. |
The Body Basics
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| glava | head |
| grlo | throat |
| trbuh | stomach |
| leđa | back (always plural) |
| zub | tooth |
| noga / ruka | leg or foot / arm or hand |
How You Feel
The dative states report the general condition:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Loše mi je. | I feel unwell. |
| Bolje mi je. | I'm feeling better. |
| Imam temperaturu. | I have a fever. |
| Prehlađen sam. / Prehlađena sam. | I've got a cold. (m/f) |
Getting Help
The ljekarna (pharmacy, green cross) solves most problems; the liječnik / liječnica (doctor) handles the rest.
Trebam nešto protiv glavobolje.
I need something for a headache.
Note: protiv + genitive — against the headache. Swap in kašlja (cough), prehlade (cold).
Doctor's orders arrive as polite imperatives — receive them gracefully:
| Croatian | English |
|---|---|
| Odmarajte se. | Rest. |
| Pijte puno vode. | Drink lots of water. (puno + genitive!) |
| Uzmite tabletu. | Take a tablet. |
💬 At the ljekarna
Dobar dan. Boli me grlo i loše mi je.
Good day. My throat hurts and I feel unwell.
Imate li temperaturu?
Do you have a fever?
Malo. Trebam nešto protiv boli.
A little. I need something for the pain.
Izvolite. I odmarajte se — i čaj s medom!
Here you are. And rest — and tea with honey!
(Čaj s medom — tea with honey — will be prescribed by pharmacists, grandmothers and taxi drivers alike. The instrumental heals.)