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Health and the body

The most important roots for this topic are sana ‘heal, health, medicine’ and its opposite mara ‘sick, hurt’. Name a part of the body, put ri marasenti after it, and you have said where it hurts.

Health roots

PikotikaMeaning
sanaheal, cure, treat; health; medicine
marasick, ill, injured; make sick
korpothe body; physical
servihelp

The body

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
testaheadhead
vitepartesee-parteye
otipartehear-partear
ventosaporparteair-taste-partnose
pukamouthmouth, lips
pukarapismouth-stonetooth
manuhandhand, arm, finger
kampalegleg, foot
venterstomachstomach, belly
retsbackback
korporapisbody-stonebone
rusakured-waterblood

manu is the whole limb, from shoulder to fingertip, and kampa from hip to toe. When it matters which part, point: Ri marasenti in tisroko.

Where it hurts

marasenti hurt-feel is pain, and to hurt. Put the part that hurts in the subject, or use the indefinite subject form with the painful area after in.

PikotikaMeaning
Eko testa ri marasenti.My head hurts.
Eko venter ri marasenti.I have a stomachache.
Eko pukarapis ri meka marasenti.My tooth really hurts.
Eko rets ri piko marasenti.My back hurts a little.
Ri marasenti in kerroko?Where does it hurt?
Ri marasenti in tisroko.It hurts here.

mara and marasenti say different things. Eko manu ri mara. is ‘my arm is injured’ — something is wrong with it. Eko manu ri marasenti. is ‘my arm hurts’ — you can feel it.

A headache has its own word, testamara head-sick: Eko ri tene a testamara. ‘I have a headache.’

Being sick

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
korpowobody-hota fever
retsekomiback-foodto vomit, throw up
korpononakorbody-not-agreean allergy
PikotikaMeaning
Eko ri mara.I'm sick.
Viro ri mara.The man is sick.
Yanyer, eko ri tiven mara.I got sick yesterday.
Eko ri tene a korpowo.I have a fever.
Eko ri retsekomi vin.I threw up.
Eko ri tene a korpononakor.I have allergies.

As with feelings, put the cause in the subject and the person after a, and mara means ‘make sick’. korpononakor works the same way.

PikotikaMeaning
Marum aku ri mara a omo.Bad water makes people sick.
Tis komi ri mara a eko vin.That food made me sick.
Raten ri korpononakor a eko.I'm allergic to milk.
Ker ri korpononakor a tu?What are you allergic to?

Injuries

rompe is both ‘break’ and ‘cut’, and rusaku is ‘bleed’ as well as ‘blood’.

PikotikaMeaning
Eko kampa ri rompe.My leg is broken.
Eko manu ri rusaku.My hand is bleeding.
Ri rusaku!There's blood!
Pam non timo. Tis ri non pesaneses.Don't worry. It's nothing serious.
Tu ri tene a sanaropa, ker?Do you have a bandage?

Getting help

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
sanaomoheal-persona doctor
pukarapis sanaomomouth-stone heal-persona dentist
sanakaseheal-homea hospital
sanakomparrokoheal-buy-placea pharmacy
sanakaroheal-vehiclean ambulance
sanatentarheal-testa checkup, a medical test
PikotikaMeaning
Pam servi!Help, please!
Eko ri neses a sanaomo.I need a doctor.
Ri sanaomo mets ekomen, ker?Is there a doctor among us?
Pam tika ver sanakaro!Call an ambulance!
Sanakase ri kerroko?Where's the hospital?
Ri sanakomparroko nir tisroko, ker?Is there a pharmacy near here?

Medicine

sana is the medicine itself as well as the healing it does, so ‘take medicine’ is just toma a sana.

PikotikaMeaning
Tu ri tene a sana por testamara, ker?Do you have anything for a headache?
Tis ri apa in kertempo?When did it start?
Pam komi, tar toma a tis sana.Eat, then take this medicine.
Pam tormi, kum pipe a mur aku.Rest, and drink lots of water.
Eko ri mas pona in tistempo.I'm better now.

And for someone else who is sick, Pona sana. ‘Get well.’ — see Pleasantries and filler.

Staying healthy

PikotikaLiterallyMeaning
sanaireheal-movementexercise; to exercise
sanairerokoheal-movement-placea gym
korpoyubody-playsport, athletics
korpokanbody-abilitystrength; strong
PikotikaMeaning
In pan suryan, eko ri sanaire.I exercise every morning.
Eko ri kampaire ver opus.I walk to work.
Tu ri kusta a ker korpoyu?What sports do you like?

A whole conversation

Bob goes into a pharmacy.

PikotikaEnglish
Popu: Pam servi. Eko venter ri marasenti.Bob: Can you help me? My stomach hurts.
Komparomo: Tis ri apa in kertempo?Pharmacist: When did it start?
Popu: Yer nemyan. Eko ri komi a akupeste in komiroko.Bob: Last night. I had fish at a restaurant.
Komparomo: Tu ri retsekomi vin, ker?Pharmacist: Have you thrown up?
Popu: Non. Sets eko ri non komivori.Bob: No. But I'm not hungry.
Komparomo: Tu ri tene a korpowo, ker?Pharmacist: Do you have a fever?
Popu: Eko ri pensa a non.Bob: I don't think so.
Komparomo: Tis sana ri pona. Pam komi, tar toma a tis.Pharmacist: This medicine is good. Eat something, then take it.
Komparomo: Pos tu ri non mas pona in yantar, tisrason pam ire ver sanaomo.Pharmacist: If you're not better tomorrow, go to a doctor.
Popu: Meka mersi.Bob: Thank you very much.
Komparomo: Pona sana!Pharmacist: Get well!

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