Nobody plans to need Kannada for the doctor, the pharmacy or an emergency, but these are the moments when a few words matter most. This guide covers the phrases from the final chapter of the course, Sahaya ("Trouble and help"): how to say you're unwell, describe what hurts and for how long, follow a prescription, and get help quickly when something goes wrong. Everything is spoken Bengaluru Kannada, written in English letters, with the Kannada script alongside if you want it.
Saying you're not well
The first thing a doctor, a stranger or a friend will ask is yenaaytu?, what happened? The simplest answer is that you're not feeling well.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Yenaaytu? | ಏನಾಯ್ತು? | What happened? (literally: what became) |
| Hushaar illa | ಹುಷಾರಿಲ್ಲ | I'm not feeling well (literally: wellness is-not) |
| Jwara ide | ಜ್ವರ ಇದೆ | I have a fever (literally: fever is-there) |
| Jwara ideya? | ಜ್ವರ ಇದೆಯಾ? | Do you have a fever? (literally: fever is-there?) |
| Allergy ide | ಅಲರ್ಜಿ ಇದೆ | I have an allergy |
| Doctor beku | ಡಾಕ್ಟರ್ ಬೇಕು | I need a doctor |
Notice how jwara ide becomes the question jwara ideya? just by adding -a on the end. If a doctor asks you that, the answer is simply Houdu (yes) or Illa (no).
Describing what hurts
Kannada has a tidy pattern for pain. Novu means pain, and it comes after whatever hurts: head pain, stomach pain. You don't need to learn a separate word for each kind of ache.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Thale novu | ತಲೆ ನೋವು | A headache (literally: head pain) |
| Hotte novu | ಹೊಟ್ಟೆ ನೋವು | A stomach ache (literally: stomach pain) |
| Illi novu | ಇಲ್ಲಿ ನೋವು | It hurts here (literally: here pain) |
Illi novu is the one to remember if you've forgotten the word for a body part. Point and say it, and any doctor will understand.
Since when? Using -inda
The second question a doctor asks is how long it's been going on. The ending -inda, which you may already know as "from" (as in illinda, from here), also works for time. Eradu dinadinda is "since two days", meaning for two days.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Eshtu dinadinda? | ಎಷ್ಟು ದಿನದಿಂದ? | For how many days? (literally: how-many days-from) |
| Eradu dinadinda | ಎರಡು ದಿನದಿಂದ | For two days (literally: two days-from) |
| Illinda eshtu doora? | ಇಲ್ಲಿಂದ ಎಷ್ಟು ದೂರ? | How far is it from here? (literally: here-from how-much far) |
The same ending does both jobs, distance and time, so learning it once pays off twice.
Finding a hospital or a pharmacy
In India a pharmacy is usually called a "medical shop", and that's exactly what you say in Kannada too. Both of these questions use yelli, where.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Hattira hospital yelli? | ಹತ್ತಿರ ಹಾಸ್ಪಿಟಲ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿ? | Where's the nearest hospital? (literally: near hospital where) |
| Medical shop yelli ide? | ಮೆಡಿಕಲ್ ಶಾಪ್ ಎಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೆ? | Where's a pharmacy? |
Following the doctor's instructions
Understanding the prescription is just as important as describing the problem. Two phrases cover most of what you'll hear: how often to take something, and when.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Dinakke mooru sala thogolli | ದಿನಕ್ಕೆ ಮೂರು ಸಲ ತೊಗೊಳ್ಳಿ | Take it three times a day (literally: day-per three times take-please) |
| Oota aada mele | ಊಟ ಆದ ಮೇಲೆ | After meals (literally: meal happened after) |
Listen for sala, times, and mele, after. Even if you miss the rest, those two words tell you how often and when. If it all goes by too fast, Swalpa nidhanavagi heli (ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಹೇಳಿ, please say it slowly) is always welcome.
Emergencies: getting help fast
In an emergency, Kannada requests still keep their polite -i or -iri ending: sahaya maadi, please help; ambulance kariri, call an ambulance. Add bega, quickly, and people will move.
| Say it | ಕನ್ನಡ | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sahaya maadi! | ಸಹಾಯ ಮಾಡಿ! | Please help! (literally: help do-please) |
| Bega! | ಬೇಗ! | Quickly! |
| Ambulance kariri | ಆಂಬುಲೆನ್ಸ್ ಕರೀರಿ | Call an ambulance (literally: ambulance call-please) |
| Police-ge phone maadi | ಪೊಲೀಸ್ಗೆ ಫೋನ್ ಮಾಡಿ | Please call the police (literally: police-to phone do-please) |
| Phone kalkondu hoytu | ಫೋನ್ ಕಳ್ಕೊಂಡು ಹೋಯ್ತು | I've lost my phone (literally: phone having-lost went) |
Two numbers are worth saving now: 112 is India's single emergency number, and 108 is for an ambulance in Karnataka.
Police-ge phone maadi is a good example of how Bengaluru Kannada works. "Police" and "phone" are English words, and the Kannada ending -ge (to) sits on the end of "police". You don't need a pure-Kannada word for either; this is how people actually say it.
A quick conversation
Here is how a visit to Dr. Suma might go. In the course's final scene, you're two days into a trip to Hampi and the street food has caught up with you.
- Dr. Suma: Namaskara — Hello
- You: Namaskara — Hello
- Dr. Suma: Yenaaytu? — What happened?
- You: Hushaar illa — I'm not feeling well
- Dr. Suma: Sari — OK
- You: Hotte novu — A stomach ache
- Dr. Suma: Eshtu dinadinda? — For how many days?
- You: Eradu dinadinda — For two days
- Dr. Suma: Jwara ideya? — Do you have a fever?
- You: Illa — No
- Dr. Suma: Dinakke mooru sala thogolli — Take it three times a day
- You: Sari — OK
- Dr. Suma: Oota aada mele — After meals
- You: Dhanyavada — Thank you
Notice how short every line is. You don't need long sentences to get through a consultation: a symptom, a number of days and a clear "yes" or "no" do most of the work.
Tips for using these phrases
- Point when you're stuck. Illi novu plus a gesture beats a long search for the right word.
- Answer the two key questions. What happened, and for how long. Have Hotte novu or Thale novu and Eradu dinadinda ready, swapping in your own symptom and number.
- Stay polite, even in a hurry. Sahaya maadi and Ambulance kariri are polite and urgent at once.
- Say thank you. Dhanyavada at the end of a consultation goes a long way.
These are phrases you hope you'll never need, which is exactly why it's worth learning them before you do. A few minutes of practice now means you won't be searching for words when you're already unwell or worried.