Medical Vocabulary of Ailments & Treatments in Penang Hokkien

Medical Vocabulary of Ailments and Treatments in Penang Hokkien is created specially for the benefit of doctors, nurses, medical practitioners and care givers. It is intended to assist doctors in understanding what ails patients who could only communicate with them in Penang Hokkien. In addition to the vocabulary on this page, doctors posted to Penang for extended periods are urged to learn the language using the lessons under Penang Hokkien for Residents.

Use this lesson alongside with the following ones:

English loanwords in common use

The following are words in English that are commonly understood in the general Penang Hokkien-speaking population.

ambulance
cancer
dentist
doctor
hospital
injection
nurse
x-ray

Medical Vocabulary in Penang Hokkien

ache: (noun, verb) snui1 [suĩ]
administer injection: (verb) phak1 ciam1 [p^hak-tsiam]
affix: (verb) kor2 [kɔ] , tak3 [taʔ]
affix a medicated plaster: (verb) tak1 kor3iok1 [taʔ-kɔ-iok]
anxious: (adjective) kin1ciong1 [kin-tsiɔŋ]
apply medicine: (verb) buak1 iok1 [buak-iok]
asthma: (noun) haeh3ku1 [hɛ-ku]
bleed: (verb) lau3 hoek3 [lau-hoek]
blister: (noun, verb) phong1pha3 [p^hɔŋ-p^ha]
boils: (noun) mi3soe4 [mi-soe]
bored: (adjective) sien3 [siɛn]
breath: (noun) khui3 [k^hui]
breathe: (verb) chuan1 khui3 [ts^huan-k^hui]
breathe in: (verb) chuan1 khui3 jip1 khee3 [ts^huan-k^hui-dzip-k^hi]
breathe out: (verb) chuan1 khui3 chut3 lai2 [ts^huan-k^hui-ts^hut-lai]
catch a cold: (verb) tiok3 kam4 [tiok-kam]
chicken pox: chut1 choo1 [ts^hut-tsu]
clinic: (noun) mi3si3 pang2 [mi-si-paŋ]
cough: (noun, verb) sau3 [sau] , kha3sau3 [k^ha-sau] , ba3tok1 [ba-tok]
cough syrup: (noun) ba3tok3 iok1 [ba-tok-iok]
constipation: (noun) be33 pang1sai4 [be-pa-sai]
dentist: (noun) chui1khee4-eh3 lo1kun1 [ts^hu-k^hi-e-lo-kun / ts^hu-k^hi-e-lo-kun]
diabetes: (noun) tnee3jio33 [tĩ-dzio]
diarrhoea: (noun) lau1 sai4 [lau-sai]
diphtheria: (noun) paek3au2 [pɛʔ-au]
disease: (noun) pnae3 [pɛ̃]
dizzy: (adjective) hin2 [hin]
doctor: (noun) lo1kun1 [lo-kun]
dream: (noun, verb) bang3 [baŋ]
enlarged lymph nodes: (noun) khan3hat1 [k^han-hat]
exhausted: (adjective) chuan4 [ts^huan]
experiencing an impending bowel movement: (noun) keik1 sai4 [kek-sai]
feel the pulse: (verb) bong3 maek1 [bɔŋ-mɛk]
fever: (noun) huat1 juak1 [huat-dzuak] , huat1 sio1 [huat-sio]
get beaten up: (verb) tiok3 phak3 [tiok-p^haʔ] / tiok3 hut3 [tiok-hut] / tiok3 mau1 [tiok-mau]
get bitten by animal: (verb) tiok3 ka3 [tiok-ka]
get burnt: (verb) tiok3 sio1 [tiok-sio]
get a cold: (verb) tiok3 kam4 [tiok-kam]
get a cut: (verb) tiok3 kuak3 [tiok-kuak]
get hit by car or other vehicle: (verb) tiok3 long3 [tiok-lɔŋ]
get scalded: (verb) tiok3 thng3 [tiok-t^hŋ]
get stabbed, get pricked: (verb) tiok3 chiam2 [tiok-tsiam]
get stung: (verb) tiok3 teng3 [tiok-teŋ]
gout: (noun) jio3 snui1 [dzio-suĩ]
headache: (noun) thau2 thnia3 [t^hau-t^hiã]
heart attack: (noun) sim3cong3 pnae3 [sim-chɔŋ-pɛ̃]
heart beat: (noun) sim1 thiau3 [sim-t^hiau]
hernia: (noun) tua33 lan3pha1 [tua-lan-p^ha]
hiccups: (noun) phak1ek3 [p^ha-ek]
high blood: (noun) hoek3 kuan2 [hoek-kuan]
hospital: (noun) i3seng3kuan4 [i-seŋ-kuan] , lo1kun3chu3 [lo-kun-ts^hu]
hospitalized: (verb) tua1 lau2 [tua-lau]
inflamed: (adjective) huat1 hong2 [huat-hɔŋ]
influenza ('flu): (noun) siong3 hong1 [sioŋ-hɔ'ŋ]
injured: (adjective) tiok3 siong1 [tiok-siɔŋ]
kidney stones: (noun) snaeh3ciok1 [sɛ̃-tsiok]
leprosy: (noun) thai1ko1 [t^hai-ko]
low blood: (adjective) hoek3 kae3
measles: (noun) chut1 phiak1 [ts^hut-p^hiak]
medicated plaster: (noun) kor3iok1 [kɔ-iok]
medicine: (noun) iok1 [iok]
medicine, liquid form: (noun) iok3chooi4 [iok-tsui]
medicine, ointment form: (noun) iok3ko1 [iok-ko]
medicine, powder form: (noun) iok3hoon4 [iok-hun]
medicine, tablet form: (noun) iok3wan2 [iok-uan]
mood: (noun) sim3 ceng2 [sim-tseŋ]
moody: (adjective) sim3 ceng2 boh3 sui4 [sim-tseŋ-bo-sui]
mouth ulcer: (noun) chui3 phua3 [ts^hui-p^hua]
muscle cramp: (noun) thiu3kin1 [t^hiu-kin] , often mispronounced as khiu3kin1 [k^hiu-kin]
mumps: (noun) eng3ai2 [eŋ-ai]
nightmare: (noun); have a nightmare: (verb) ham3bin2 [ham-bin]
nurse: (noun) mi3si1 [mi-si] (Malay loanword)
operate: (verb) khooi3 to1 [k^hui-to]
physician: (noun) i3seng1 [i-seŋ]
physician of traditional Chinese medicine: (noun) sin3seh1 [sin-sɛ̃]
piles: (noun) snaeh3 ti3chng1 [sɛ̃-ti-ts^hŋ]
pill: (noun) iok3wan2 [iok-uan]
plaster: (noun) liam3por3 [liam-pɔ]
pulse: (noun) maek1 [mɛk]
pus: (noun) na3nah4 [na-nah] (Malay loanword)
relax: (adjective) pang1khin3sang1 [paŋ-k^hin-saŋ]
rest: (verb) hiu3sek3 [hiu-sek]
restless: (adjective) ceh3 be33 tiam3 [tse-be-tiam]
rheumatism: (noun) hong3sip3 [hɔŋ-sip]
runny nose: (noun) lau33 phni33 [lau-p^hĩ]
sick: (adjective) phua1pnae3 [p^hua-pɛ̃]
skin depigmentation: (noun) paek3tio3 [pɛk-tio]
sleep: (verb) khoon3 [k^hun]
sleepy, drowsy: (adjective) ai1 khoon3 [ai-k^hun]
sore: (noun) snui1 [suĩ]
sore throat: (noun) na3au2 thnia3 [na-au-t^hiã]
sprain: (noun) ut3tiok1 [ut-tiok]
stomach ache: (noun) por1tor1thnia3 [pɔ-tɔ-t^hiã]
stroke: (noun) tiong3hong1 [tiɔŋ-hɔŋ]
sty: (noun) bart3ciam1 [bat-tsiam]
swollen: (adjective) ceng4 [tseŋ]
toothache: (noun) chu1khee4 thnia3 [ts^hu-k^hi-ts^hiã]
treat: (verb) i1 [i]
uric acid: (noun) niau4 suan1 [niau-suan]
vomiting and diarrhoea: (noun) au1 lau3 [au-lau]
worms in the stomach: (noun) kam3cek3 [kam-tsek] , ca3cing4 [tsa-tsiŋ] (Malay loanword)
worry: (adjective) huan3 loh4 [huan-lo]
x-ray: (verb) cio1 knia3 [tsio-kiã]

View full list of Penang Hokkien Vocabulary

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Please use the information on this page as guidance only. The author endeavours to update the information on this page from time to time, but regrets any inaccuracies if there be any.

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