Pains

Pains

මට මෙතන රිදෙනවා
[ maṭa metana ridenavā ]

It hurts here

මගේ ඇඟම රිදෙනවා
[ magē æn̆gama ridenavā ]

My whole body aches

මගේ කොන්ද රිදෙනවා
[ magē konda ridenavā ]

I have a backache

මගේ කකුල රිදෙනවා
[ magē kakula ridenavā ]

My leg hurts

මගේ කකුල ඉදිමිලා
[ magē kakula idimilā ]

My foot/leg is swollen

මගේ අත තුවාල වුණා
[ magē ata tuvāla vuṇā ]

I hurt my hand

මගේ බෙල්ල රිදෙනවා
[ magē bella ridenavā ]

My neck hurts

මගේ දතක් රිදෙනවා
[ magē datak ridenavā ]

I have a toothache

මගේ ඇස් දනවා
[ magē æs danavā ]

My eyes are burning

වේදනාව ගොඩක් වැඩියි
[ vēdanāva goḍak væḍiyi ]

The pain is severe

ඒක තද වේදනාවක්
[ ēka tada vēdanāvak ]

It's a sharp pain

මේක ඊයේ පටන්ගත්තේ
[ mēka īyē paṭangattē ]

It started yesterday

මට අත හොලවන්න බෑ
[ maṭa ata holavanna bǣ ]

I can't move my arm

මගේ කොන්ද බලන්න පුළුවන්ද?
[ magē konda balanna puḷuvanda? ]

Can you check my back?

පරිස්සමෙන්, එතන රිදෙනවා
[ parissamen, etana ridenavā ]

Be careful, it hurts there

Cultural notes

Exploring Sri Lanka is an incredibly active endeavor. Between scaling the ancient, steep steps of Sigiriya rock, hiking the rugged trails of Ella, and enduring the bumpy, vibration-heavy rides in a local tuk-tuk or bus, your body will definitely feel the impact of the adventure. It is quite common for travelers to wake up with stiff muscles or minor aches. Knowing how to pinpoint your pain in Sinhala is extremely useful, especially if you decide to visit a local doctor or an Ayurvedic massage therapist. If you have been squeezed into a cramped CTB bus for hours, you might need to say "Mage konda ridenawa" (මගේ කොන්ද රිදෙනවා - mageː konda ridenawaː), which translates to "My back hurts." If your legs are screaming after climbing the 5,500 steps of Adam's Peak, you can point and say "Mage kakula ridenawa" (මගේ කකුල රිදෙනවා - mageː kakula ridenawaː), meaning "My leg hurts." The intense tropical sun can also cause severe dehydration, leading to a pounding head. To express this, say "Mage oluwa ridenawa" (මගේ ඔලුව රිදෙනවා - mageː oluwa ridenawaː), meaning "I have a headache." In Sri Lanka, physical pain is often treated holistically. If you mention a backache or muscle pain to a local, they will likely point you toward an Ayurvedic center. Traditional Sri Lankan massage uses warm herbal oils specifically formulated to draw out muscle inflammation and fatigue. Describing your pain accurately ensures that the therapist applies the right soothing oils to the right spots, allowing you to quickly recover and continue your island exploration.