Symptoms

Symptoms

මට උණ
[ maṭa uṇa ]

I have a fever

මට හෙම්බිරිස්සාව
[ maṭa hembirissāva ]

I have a cold

මට කැස්ස
[ maṭa kæssa ]

I have a cough

මට කිවිසුම් යනවා
[ maṭa kivisum yanavā ]

I am sneezing

මට බඩඑළිය යනවා
[ maṭa baḍaeḷiya yanavā ]

I have diarrhea

මගේ බඩ රිදෙනවා
[ magē baḍa ridenavā ]

I have a stomach ache

මගේ ඔලුව රිදෙනවා
[ magē oluva ridenavā ]

I have a headache

මගේ උගුර රිදෙනවා
[ magē ugura ridenavā ]

I have a sore throat

මට ගොඩක් දාඩිය දානවා
[ maṭa goḍak dāḍiya dānavā ]

I am sweating a lot

මට හීතල වෙව්ලුමක් එනවා
[ maṭa hītala vevlumak enavā ]

I have chills

මගේ ඇඟේ පලු දාලා
[ magē æn̆gē palu dālā ]

I have a rash

මගේ ඇඟ කසනවා
[ magē æn̆ga kasanavā ]

It is itchy

මට ඇදුම තියෙනවා
[ maṭa æduma tiyenavā ]

I have asthma

මට අසාත්මිකතාවක් තියෙනවා
[ maṭa asātmikatāvak tiyenavā ]

I have an allergy

මට හුස්ම ගන්න අමාරුයි
[ maṭa husma ganna amāruyi ]

I can't breathe well

Cultural notes

When traveling in Sri Lanka, the abrupt shift in climate, diet, and environment can occasionally trigger common traveler's ailments. The most infamous of these is the dreaded traveler's diarrhea, often brought on by an unfamiliar abundance of intensely spicy foods rather than poor hygiene. If your stomach rebels against a fiery local curry, you can explain your situation delicately by saying "Mage bada ridenawa" (මගේ බඩ රිදෙනවා - mageː baɖa ridenawaː), meaning "My stomach hurts," or, more specifically, "Mata badayeliya yanawa" (මට බඩඑළිය යනවා - maʈa baɖaeɭija janawaː) for diarrhea. Another very common ailment is what locals refer to as the "A/C cold." Sri Lankans love to blast their air conditioners or ceiling fans at maximum speed on trains, buses, and in hotel rooms. Moving constantly from the sweltering, 30-degree outdoor heat into freezing air-conditioned spaces easily leads to a stuffy nose or a sore throat. To communicate this, you can say "Mata hembirissawa" (මට හෙම්බිරිස්සාව - maʈa hembirissaːwa) for "I have a cold," or "Mata una" (මට උණ - maʈa uɳa) for "I have a fever." If you start coughing ("Mata kassa" - මට කැස්ස), locals might quickly prepare a traditional steaming herbal brew to soothe your throat. Sri Lankans are exceptionally familiar with these minor tropical ailments and treat them with a mix of practical advice and natural remedies. Describing your symptoms clearly in Sinhala allows local pharmacists or guesthouse owners to quickly provide you with the correct allopathic medicine or the perfect traditional Ayurvedic fix, helping you get back on your feet to enjoy your holiday.