Time to visit the neighborhood medical store! In this lesson, you'll learn pharmacy vocabulary — tablets, syrup, bandages, prescriptions — and the crucial patterns for understanding dosage instructions. In India, most medicines are available over the counter, so knowing how to ask for what you need is essential. Let's join Sita at the local medical store!
Learning tips
- In India, pharmacies are called 'medical store' (मेडिकल स्टोर [meḍikal sṭor]) — you'll find one in every colony, often open late at night.
- The pattern 'दिन में X बार [din mẽ X bār]' (X times a day) is essential for understanding dosage. Memorize it!
- खाने के बाद [khāne ke bād] (after eating) and खाने से पहले [khāne se pahle] (before eating) — these two phrases appear on almost every medicine in India.
- Always check the एक्सपायरी डेट [ekspāyrī ḍeṭ] (expiry date) — Sita learned this the hard way!
Warm-up & Active Recall
Recap: In Lesson 9.2, we learned to express health conditions using लगना [lagnā] (to feel/seem), दर्द होना [dard honā] (to have pain), and तबीयत [tabīyat] expressions.
| Word | Romanization | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| तबीयत | tabīyat | health/condition |
| बुखार | bukhār | fever |
| सर्दी | sardī | cold |
| खाँसी | khā̃sī | cough |
| दर्द | dard | pain |
| दवाई | davāī | medicine |
| आराम | ārām | rest |
| बीमार | bīmār | sick |
| थका | thakā | tired |
| कमज़ोर | kamzor | weak |
Dialog
Sita visits the colony medical store in Laxmi Nagar to buy cold medicine. In India, many medicines that require a prescription in Western countries are available over the counter. The pharmacist (often called 'bhaiya' — brother) dispenses advice along with medicines. Notice the dosage patterns: दिन में तीन बार [din mẽ tīn bār] (three times a day), सुबह-रात एक-एक [subah-rāt ek-ek] (one each morning and night). Ravi plays the pharmacist in this dialog.
💊 शाम — कॉलोनी की मेडिकल स्टोर, लक्ष्मी नगर
śām — kŏlonī kī meḍikal sṭor, lakṣmī nagar
Sita
भैया, सर्दी-खाँसी की दवाई चाहिए।
bhaiyā, sardī-khā̃sī kī davāī cāhie.
(Brother, cold-cough's medicine needed.)
Brother, I need cold and cough medicine.
Ravi
पर्चा है? डॉक्टर ने कोई गोली लिखी है?
parcā hai? ḍŏkṭar ne koī golī likhī hai?
(Prescription is? Doctor any tablet written has?)
Do you have a prescription? Did the doctor prescribe any tablets?
Sita
नहीं, पर्चा नहीं है। बस सर्दी का सिरप दे दो।
nahī̃, parcā nahī̃ hai. bas sardī kā sirap de do.
(No, prescription not is. Just cold's syrup give.)
No, I don't have a prescription. Just give me cold syrup.
Ravi
ठीक है। यह सिरप लो — दिन में तीन बार, खाने के बाद।
ṭhīk hai. yah sirap lo — din mẽ tīn bār, khāne ke bād.
(Okay. This syrup take — day in three times, eating after.)
Okay. Take this syrup — three times a day, after meals.
Sita
और सिर दर्द की गोली भी दे दो। रात को बहुत दर्द होता है।
aur sir dard kī golī bhī de do. rāt ko bahut dard hotā hai.
(And head pain's tablet also give. Night at much pain happens.)
And give me headache tablets too. It hurts a lot at night.
💊 दवाई पैक करते हुए
davāī paik karte hue
Ravi
यह गोली — सुबह-रात, एक-एक। और यह मलहम — जहाँ दर्द हो, लगाना।
yah golī — subah-rāt, ek-ek. aur yah malham — jahā̃ dard ho, lagānā.
(This tablet — morning-night, one-one. And this ointment — where pain be, apply.)
This tablet — morning and night, one each. And this ointment — apply where it hurts.
Sita
पट्टी भी दे दो — कल उँगली कट गई थी।
paṭṭī bhī de do — kal uṅglī kaṭ gaī thī.
(Bandage also give — yesterday finger cut gone was.)
Give me a bandage too — I cut my finger yesterday.
Ravi
लो, पट्टी भी। मलहम लगाकर पट्टी बाँधना। दवाई दिन में तीन बार, एक हफ़्ते तक।
lo, paṭṭī bhī. malham lagākar paṭṭī bā̃dhnā. davāī din mẽ tīn bār, ek hafte tak.
(Take, bandage also. Ointment applying bandage tie. Medicine day in three times, one week till.)
Here, bandage too. Apply ointment then tie the bandage. Medicine three times a day, for one week.
Sita
कितने पैसे हुए? और एक्सपायरी डेट देख लेना — पिछली बार पुरानी दवाई मिली थी!
kitne paise hue? aur ekspāyrī ḍeṭ dekh lenā — pichlī bār purānī davāī milī thī!
(How-much money became? And expiry date see take — last time old medicine got was!)
How much does it cost? And check the expiry date — last time I got old medicine!
Vocabulary
Active words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| दवाई | davāī | /d̪ə.vaː.iː/ | medicine, medication | Feminine noun. The most general word for any medicine. |
| गोली | golī | /ɡoː.liː/ | tablet, pill | Feminine noun. गोली खाना [golī khānā] = to take (eat) a tablet. |
| सिरप | sirap | /sɪ.rəp/ | syrup | Masculine noun. English loanword. Common for cough/cold medicines. |
| पट्टी | paṭṭī | /pəʈ.ʈiː/ | bandage | Feminine noun. पट्टी बाँधना [paṭṭī bā̃dhnā] = to tie a bandage. |
| मलहम | malham | /məl.ɦəm/ | ointment, balm | Masculine noun. मलहम लगाना [malham lagānā] = to apply ointment. |
| पर्चा | parcā | /pər.t͡ʃaː/ | prescription | Masculine noun. डॉक्टर का पर्चा [ḍŏkṭar kā parcā] = doctor's prescription. |
| लगाना | lagānā | /lə.ɡaː.naː/ | to apply, to put on | Verb. Used for ointment, cream, etc. Also means 'to seem' in other contexts. |
| दिन | din | /d̪ɪn/ | day | Masculine noun. दिन में [din mẽ] = in a day, per day. |
| बार | bār | /baːr/ | time (occurrence) | Feminine noun. एक बार [ek bār] = once, दो बार [do bār] = twice. |
| रात | rāt | /raːt̪/ | night | Feminine noun. रात को [rāt ko] = at night. |
Passive words
| Word | Romanization | IPA | Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| कैप्सूल | kaipsūl | /kɛːp.suːl/ | capsule | Masculine noun. English loanword. |
| इंजेक्शन | iñjekśan | /ɪn.d͡ʒek.ʃən/ | injection | Masculine noun. English loanword. Common in Indian healthcare. |
| थर्मामीटर | tharmāmīṭar | /t̪ʰər.maː.miː.ʈər/ | thermometer | Masculine noun. English loanword. |
| BP | bī-pī | /biː.piː/ | blood pressure | English abbreviation used as-is in Hindi. |
| शुगर | śugar | /ʃʊ.ɡər/ | sugar (diabetes) | Masculine noun. In everyday Hindi, 'sugar' means diabetes. |
| एक्सपायरी | ekspāyrī | /ek.spaː.jriː/ | expiry (date) | Feminine noun. English loanword. |
Useful chunks
| Word | Romanization | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| दिन में तीन बार | din mẽ tīn bār | three times a day |
| खाने के बाद | khāne ke bād | after eating / after meals |
| एक हफ़्ते तक | ek hafte tak | for one week |
Pronunciation: Hindi uses many English medical loanwords but adapts their pronunciation. सिरप [sirap] (syrup) loses the 'y' sound. गोली [golī] has a long ī at the end. पट्टी [paṭṭī] has a doubled retroflex ट्ट [ṭṭ] — hold the retroflex position slightly longer. When you hear these words spoken by Indians, the stress patterns follow Hindi rules, not English ones.
Grammar: Frequency & duration: दिन में X बार [din mẽ X bār], X तक [X tak]
| Pattern | Hindi | IAST | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| दिन में X बार | दिन में तीन बार [din mẽ tīn bār] | din mẽ tīn bār | three times a day |
| सुबह-रात | सुबह-रात एक-एक [subah-rāt ek-ek] | subah-rāt ek-ek | one each morning-night |
| खाने के बाद | खाने के बाद लो [khāne ke bād lo] | khāne ke bād lo | take after eating |
| खाने से पहले | खाने से पहले लो [khāne se pahle lo] | khāne se pahle lo | take before eating |
| X तक | एक हफ़्ते तक [ek hafte tak] | ek hafte tak | for one week |
| X दिन तक | तीन दिन तक [tīn din tak] | tīn din tak | for three days |
Dosage instructions follow predictable patterns in Hindi:
Frequency — दिन में X बार [din mẽ X bār]:
- दिन में एक बार [din mẽ ek bār] = once a day
- दिन में दो बार [din mẽ do bār] = twice a day
- दिन में तीन बार [din mẽ tīn bār] = three times a day
Timing — के बाद [ke bād] / से पहले [se pahle]:
- खाने के बाद [khāne ke bād] = after eating
- खाने से पहले [khāne se pahle] = before eating
- सोने से पहले [sone se pahle] = before sleeping
Duration — X तक [X tak]:
- एक हफ़्ते तक [ek hafte tak] = for one week
- तीन दिन तक [tīn din tak] = for three days
- दो महीने तक [do mahīne tak] = for two months
Morning-night shortcut:
- सुबह-रात एक-एक [subah-rāt ek-ek] = one each morning and night
Exercises
Fill in the Blanks
Complete each sentence with the missing pharmacy word.
- यह लो — दिन में तीन बार।(liquid medicine)
- सिर दर्द की दे दो।(solid medicine — tablet)
- लगाकर बाँधो।(cream / cloth wrap)
- डॉक्टर का है?(doctor's written order)
- को दवाई लो, में दो ।(night / day / times)
Grammar Application
Express each dosage instruction in Hindi.
- 'Twice a day' in Hindi → (दिन में + number + बार)
- 'After eating' in Hindi → (खाने + postposition + बाद)
- 'For five days' in Hindi → (number + दिन + तक)
- 'One tablet morning and night' → (सुबह-रात + एक-एक)
- 'Before eating' in Hindi → (खाने + postposition + पहले)
Translation (English → Hindi)
Translate each sentence into Hindi.
- I need cold and cough medicine.
- Three times a day, after meals.
- Apply ointment and tie a bandage.
- Take medicine for one week.
- I don't have a prescription, just give me syrup.
Creative Construction
You're at a medical store asking for medicines. Write a short exchange including what you need and dosage.
Writing: Half-letters (हलंत) — Medicine words
र्
r (half)
ल्
l (half)
स्
s (half)
क्
k (half)
ट्
ṭ (half)
Practice words
| Word | Romanization |
|---|---|
| दर्द | dard |
| गोली | golī |
| पट्टी | paṭṭī |
हलंत (्) व्यंजन के नीचे लगने वाला चिह्न है — यह बताता है कि इनहेरेंट 'अ' नहीं है। जैसे द + र् + द = दर्द।
halant (̣) vyañjan ke nīce lagne vālā cihna hai — yah batātā hai ki inherent 'a' nahī̃ hai. jaise da + r + da = dard.
The हलंत [halant] (्) is a small diagonal stroke below a consonant that removes its inherent 'a' vowel. It's essential for reading medicine-related words correctly.
Examples:
- दर्द [dard] — the र् [r] has a halant, meaning it's just 'r' (not 'ra'). So: da + r + d = dard
- पट्टी [paṭṭī] — the first ट् [ṭ] has a halant and combines with the second ट [ṭ] to make a doubled sound
In modern Hindi printing, halants are often invisible because the consonants merge into conjunct forms. But when you see the halant explicitly, it always means: 'remove the inherent a vowel from this consonant.'
Takeaway
Master two key patterns: 'दिन में X बार [din mẽ X bār]' (X times a day) for frequency, and 'X तक [X tak]' (for X duration) for how long to take medicine. These will help you understand any pharmacist's instructions!
Culture note: India's neighborhood medical stores (मेडिकल स्टोर [meḍikal sṭor]) are a unique part of the healthcare system. Almost every residential colony has one, often open until midnight or later. Unlike in many Western countries, most medicines in India are available without a prescription (over the counter), including antibiotics — though regulations are tightening. The pharmacist often serves as an informal health advisor, suggesting medicines for common ailments. Generic medicines are widely available and much cheaper than branded ones. India is called the 'pharmacy of the world' because it produces a large share of global generic medicines!
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