Body Parts

1. Głowa

   Head

   Usage

   Show it at a clinic and point to your head. "Boli mnie głowa" means my head hurts

   Grammar Note

   Feminine. Polish says "boli mnie" plus the body part in the nominative — literally "the head pains me"

2. Włosy

   Hair

   Usage

   Used at a salon or barber. "Poproszę o strzyżenie" — a haircut, please

   Grammar Note

   Used in the plural; the singular "włos" is a single strand

3. Twarz

   Face

   Usage

   Marks the treatment area at a spa or the spot of a rash at a clinic. A facial is "zabieg na twarz"

4. Oko

   Eye

   Usage

   Point to it for pain or redness, or to ask for "krople do oczu" — eye drops

   Grammar Note

   Neuter, with the irregular plural "oczy"

5. Ucho

   Ear

   Usage

   For earache or blocked ears on a plane: "boli mnie ucho"

   Grammar Note

   Neuter, with the irregular plural "uszy"

6. Nos

   Nose

   Usage

   A blocked nose is "zatkany nos", a runny nose "katar" and a nosebleed "krwotok z nosa". Hay fever is "katar sienny" or "alergia na pyłki"

7. Usta

   Mouth

   Usage

   For the dentist or a mouth ulcer, "afta". The word is also inside "szminka do ust", lipstick

   Grammar Note

   A plural-only noun — there is no singular in use

8. Ząb

   Tooth

   Usage

   Show it at the dentist and point to the tooth: "boli mnie ząb"

   Grammar Note

   Masculine, with the vowel shifting in the plural "zęby"

9. Język

   Tongue

   Usage

   Point out a burn or an ulcer. The same word means "language", as in "język polski"

10. Szyja

    Neck

    Usage

    For a stiff neck; pain on swallowing belongs to "gardło". Polish also has "kark" for the back of the neck alone

11. Gardło

    Throat

    Usage

    "Boli mnie gardło" — I have a sore throat, and how to ask a pharmacist for lozenges

12. Bark

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point to it at a massage. In everyday speech "ramię" is sometimes used for the shoulder too, so "bark" is the precise word in a clinic

13. Ramię

    Arm

    Usage

    Used for blood draws and vaccinations. It can also mean the shoulder in some contexts, so use "bark" when you specifically mean the shoulder

    Grammar Note

    Neuter, with the plural "ramiona"

14. Łokieć

    Elbow

    Usage

    For a bang from a fall. The plural is "łokcie"

15. Ręka

    Hand

    Usage

    For injuries and security checks. In everyday speech it can stretch to the whole arm, so say "ramię" when you specifically mean the arm

    Grammar Note

    Feminine, with the irregular plural "ręce"

16. Palec

    Finger

    Usage

    The same word covers toes; say "palec u nogi" when you need to be specific. The plural is "palce"

17. Paznokieć

    Nail

    Usage

    For a nail salon or an ingrown or broken nail. A manicure is "manicure", a pedicure "pedicure". The plural is "paznokcie"

18. Klatka piersiowa

    Chest

    Usage

    For chest pain or breathlessness — urgent, so show it together with "boli mnie tutaj" (it hurts here)

19. Brzuch

    Belly / Abdomen

    Usage

    The belly you can point at from outside: "boli mnie brzuch". The stomach organ itself is "żołądek"

20. Plecy

    Back

    Usage

    For a massage or an orthopaedist. The verb goes plural too: "bolą mnie plecy"

    Grammar Note

    A plural-only noun — there is no singular in use

21. Dolna część pleców

    Lower back

    Usage

    Polish has no single word for the Japanese "koshi", so this descriptive phrase does the job. Lower-back pain is also "ból krzyża", which a doctor will recognise faster

22. Biodro

    Hip

    Usage

    For hip pain or a replacement, "endoproteza biodra". The plural is "biodra"

23. Pośladki

    Buttocks

    Usage

    The neutral, clinical word — for instance where an intramuscular injection goes. Everyday speech says "tyłek", but "pośladki" is the right register at the doctor's

    Grammar Note

    Normally plural; the singular "pośladek" is just one side

24. Noga

    Leg

    Usage

    From thigh to ankle. Everyday speech often stretches it to include the foot, so use "stopa" when you specifically mean the foot

    Grammar Note

    Feminine, with the plural "nogi"

25. Kolano

    Knee

    Usage

    For a hiking or skiing injury. The plural is "kolana"

26. Stopa

    Foot

    Usage

    At a shoe shop or a massage. "On foot" is a different word, "pieszo". The plural is "stopy"

27. Kostka

    Ankle

    Usage

    "Skręciłem kostkę" — I twisted my ankle; a woman says "skręciłam". The same word means a sugar cube or a small block, so say "kostka u nogi" to be unambiguous

28. Skóra

    Skin

    Usage

    For a rash, sunburn or insect bites. Sunscreen is "krem z filtrem". The same word also means leather

29. Kość

    Bone

    Usage

    A fracture is "złamanie": "chyba mam złamanie" — I think I have a break. The plural is "kości"

30. Krew

    Blood

    Usage

    A blood test is "badanie krwi" and your blood type "grupa krwi". "Krwawię" — I am bleeding

31. Serce

    Heart

    Usage

    For explaining a condition: heart disease is "choroba serca" and a pacemaker "rozrusznik serca"

32. Żołądek

    Stomach

    Usage

    Use it to ask a pharmacist for something: "boli mnie żołądek". The visible belly is "brzuch", a different word

33. Jelita

    Intestines / Bowels

    Usage

    For diarrhoea ("biegunka") or constipation ("zaparcie")

    Grammar Note

    Normally plural; the singular "jelito" is one section of the gut

34. Płuca

    Lungs

    Usage

    For asthma ("astma") or pneumonia ("zapalenie płuc"). Polish cities have a winter smog problem, so mention any respiratory condition

    Grammar Note

    Normally plural; the singular is "płuco"

35. Wątroba

    Liver

    Usage

    Comes up when a doctor asks about hepatitis ("zapalenie wątroby") or drinking. On a menu the liver takes the diminutive, "wątróbka"

36. Nerka

    Kidney

    Usage

    Stones are "kamica nerkowa" and dialysis "dializa". The plural is "nerki"

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