Picture this: you’re abroad, something hurts, and you’re sitting in a doctor’s office trying to explain what’s wrong. The doctor asks ‘Can you describe the pain?’ and suddenly your brain goes completely blank. You know the word in your language. You can feel exactly where it hurts. But in English? You’re stuck somewhere between ‘It’s bad’ and making sound effects while gesturing wildly. If you’ve been there, this lesson is for you. If you haven’t been there yet, consider this preparation for the inevitable.
Describing how you feel physically is one of the most important communication skills you can have in any language, and in English, the vocabulary is surprisingly specific. The good news? It follows patterns, and once you learn those patterns, you’ll never be stuck pointing at your elbow again.
LEVEL 1 — THE BASICS (A1/A2)
First, let’s make sure we know the parts of the body — because you can’t describe where it hurts if you don’t have the words. Starting from the top: head, forehead, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, throat, neck. Moving down: shoulders, chest, back, stomach (or tummy, if you want to sound less formal), arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers. And lower: hips, legs, knees, ankles, feet, toes. These are the essentials, and just knowing these puts you in a much better position.
Now, how do you say something hurts? The two most important structures are:
“My head hurts.” (My + body part + hurts)
“I have a headache.” (I have a + symptom)
The first pattern works for almost anything: ‘My back hurts.’ ‘My knee hurts.’ ‘My stomach hurts.’ It’s simple, direct, and every doctor will understand it immediately. The second pattern uses specific symptom words: ‘I have a cold.’ ‘I have a fever.’ ‘I have a cough.’ ‘I have a sore throat.’ A sore throat means your throat is painful — ‘sore’ is a really useful adjective that means tender and hurting.
Some essential symptom words: a headache is pain in your head. A stomachache is pain in your stomach. A toothache is pain in your tooth. Notice the pattern? The body part + ‘ache’ = the pain in that area. A fever means your body temperature is too high. A cough is when you force air out of your lungs noisily. A cold is a common illness with sneezing, a runny nose, and a sore throat. And the flu (short for influenza) is like a bad cold with fever, body aches, and exhaustion.
At the doctor’s office, you might hear some simple questions:
“What’s the problem?” or “What seems to be the matter?”
“Where does it hurt?”
“How long have you had this?”
“Are you taking any medication?”
For that last question, medication means medicine — pills, syrups, anything you take for health. A simple answer: ‘Yes, I take [medicine name]’ or ‘No, I’m not taking anything.’
LEVEL 2 — ADDING COLOR AND DEPTH (B1/B2)
At the intermediate level, you’re not just saying ‘it hurts’ — you’re describing exactly how it hurts, when it started, and what makes it better or worse. This is the difference between a vague report and a genuinely useful description that helps a doctor diagnose you correctly.
Let’s talk about types of pain, because English has wonderfully specific words for different kinds. A sharp pain is sudden and intense, like being stabbed. A dull pain is constant but not as intense — more of a heavy ache. A throbbing pain pulses with your heartbeat. A burning pain feels like heat on or under the skin. A stabbing pain is a sudden, piercing pain. A tingling sensation is the ‘pins and needles’ feeling. And numbness means you can’t feel anything at all in that area.
Describing frequency and duration is crucial here:
“The pain comes and goes.” (it’s intermittent)
“It’s been constant for about three days.” (it doesn’t stop)
“It gets worse at night.” (timing pattern)
“It started suddenly last Tuesday.” (acute onset)
“It’s been gradually getting worse over the past few weeks.” (progressive)
Grammar spotlight: the present perfect continuous is incredibly useful here because it describes something that started in the past and is still happening now. ‘I’ve been feeling dizzy for a week.’ ‘I’ve been having trouble sleeping.’ ‘My knee has been swelling on and off.’ This tense gives the doctor exactly the information they need — when it started AND that it’s ongoing.
Let’s also learn the language of triggers and relief. ‘It gets worse when I…’ is your structure for triggers: ‘It gets worse when I bend over.’ ‘The pain increases when I eat.’ And ‘It gets better when I…’ is for relief: ‘It gets better when I lie down.’ ‘It improves with rest.’
Phrasal verbs in medical contexts: to come down with means to start getting sick — ‘I think I’m coming down with something.’ To flare up means a condition suddenly gets worse — ‘My allergies flare up in spring.’ To pass out means to faint — lose consciousness briefly. To throw up means to vomit. To swell up means to become swollen — ‘My ankle swelled up after the fall.’
Speaking tip: when describing symptoms, it helps to give a timeline. Start with when it began, then describe how it’s changed. ‘It started about a week ago as a mild ache in my lower back. Over the past few days, it’s gotten worse, and now I’m also feeling some numbness running down my left leg.’ That kind of organized description impresses doctors and leads to faster, better care.
LEVEL 3 — FLUENCY AND NUANCE (C1/C2)
At the advanced level, you can navigate a complex medical conversation with precision, discuss treatment options, ask informed questions, and even advocate for yourself if you feel something’s being missed. This is genuinely life-changing English.
Advanced medical vocabulary: a diagnosis is the identification of what’s wrong. A prognosis is the expected outcome — ‘What’s the prognosis?’ means ‘How is this likely to turn out?’ Chronic means long-lasting or recurring — opposite of acute, which means sudden and severe. Symptoms are what you feel (pain, dizziness). Signs are what the doctor observes (swelling, redness, abnormal blood results). And a referral is when your doctor sends you to a specialist for further investigation.
“I’ve been experiencing intermittent episodes of vertigo, typically triggered by sudden head movements. The episodes last anywhere from thirty seconds to a few minutes and are occasionally accompanied by nausea.”
“I’d like to discuss the potential side effects of the prescribed medication before I begin the course of treatment.”
“Is there a less invasive alternative we could consider before proceeding with the recommended procedure?”
Notice the precision in these sentences. ‘Intermittent episodes’ is much more informative than ‘it comes and goes.’ ‘Triggered by sudden head movements’ identifies the cause. ‘Accompanied by nausea’ adds a secondary symptom. This level of detail helps doctors enormously and demonstrates real command of medical English.
Grammar at this level: the passive voice is standard in medical discourse. ‘The test was ordered to rule out infection.’ ‘An MRI has been scheduled for next week.’ ‘The medication should be taken with food.’ You’ll encounter these structures in medical reports, discharge summaries, and conversations with specialists, so being comfortable with them is essential.
Self-advocacy language is also critical. ‘I’d appreciate a second opinion.’ ‘Could you explain the rationale behind this recommendation?’ ‘I’m not entirely comfortable proceeding without further testing.’ ‘What are the potential risks versus the expected benefits?’ These sentences are polite, professional, and assertive — they show you’re an engaged, informed patient without being confrontational.
Writing tip: if you need to fill out a medical history form or write a description of your symptoms for a specialist, clarity and chronological order are everything. Start with the main complaint, add the timeline, include relevant history, and note any treatments you’ve already tried. ‘I have been experiencing persistent lower back pain for approximately six weeks. The pain is dull and constant, rated 6 out of 10, and is exacerbated by prolonged sitting. I have tried over-the-counter anti-inflammatories with minimal relief. I have no history of spinal issues.’ That’s a concise, professional symptom report.
One cultural note: in many English-speaking countries, doctors appreciate directness. Don’t be afraid to say ‘I’m worried this might be something serious’ or ‘I’ve read that these symptoms could indicate [condition] — is that possible?’ Doctors would much rather address your concerns directly than have you leave anxious and uncertain.
YOUR CHALLENGE
Imagine you’ve had a recurring headache for two weeks that gets worse in the afternoon.
Task 1: Record yourself describing this to a doctor, using the present perfect continuous and at least three specific pain descriptors.
Task 2: Write a 100-word symptom summary as if filling out a medical intake form, using formal medical English.
Bonus: Practice asking two self-advocacy questions you’d want to ask the doctor about your treatment options.
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