Body Parts

1. মাথা

   matha

   Head

   Usage

   Show this at a clinic and point to your own head. A headache is "matha bytha"

2. চুল

   chul

   Hair

   Usage

   Used at a barber or salon. "Chul katbo" means "I want a haircut"

3. মুখ

   mukh

   Face / Mouth

   Usage

   Bengali uses one word for the face and the mouth. Say "chehara" if you mean the face specifically, or "mukher bhitor" for inside the mouth

4. চোখ

   chokh

   Eye

   Usage

   Point to it when your eye hurts, is red, or when you need eye drops

5. কান

   kan

   Ear

   Usage

   Point to it for earache, ringing ears, or pressure that will not clear after a flight

6. নাক

   nak

   Nose

   Usage

   Point to it for a blocked nose or a nosebleed — a common one at Dhaka pharmacies in the dusty dry season

7. ঠোঁট

   thont

   Lip

   Usage

   Point to it when buying lip balm for dry or cracked lips

8. দাঁত

   dant

   Tooth

   Usage

   Point to the sore tooth at the dentist. Toothache is "dant bytha"

9. জিভ

   jibh

   Tongue

   Usage

   For when a doctor asks to see your tongue, or to say that chilli has left your tongue burning

10. ঘাড়

    ghar

    Neck

    Usage

    The back of the neck. For pain when swallowing, use "gola" (throat) instead

11. গলা

    gola

    Throat

    Usage

    Use it when asking for something for a sore throat. It also means "voice" — "gola boshe gechhe" is "I have lost my voice"

12. কাঁধ

    kandh

    Shoulder

    Usage

    For asking a masseur to work on your shoulders, or reporting strain from a heavy pack

13. বাহু

    bahu

    Arm

    Usage

    A slightly formal word for the upper arm. Use it to show where an injection or vaccine should go

14. কনুই

    konui

    Elbow

    Usage

    Point to it after a fall, or to show where a bandage should be wrapped

15. হাত

    hat

    Hand

    Usage

    In everyday speech "hat" covers the hand and often the whole arm. Say "bahu" if you mean the upper arm only

16. আঙুল

    angul

    Finger

    Usage

    For cuts or ring sizes. A toe is "payer angul", literally a finger of the foot

17. নখ

    nokh

    Nail

    Usage

    For the nail salon or a broken nail. The same word covers fingernails and toenails

18. বুক

    buk

    Chest

    Usage

    A critical word. "Buke bytha" — chest pain — is triaged as urgent, so show it and hold your chest

19. পেট

    pet

    Stomach / Belly

    Usage

    Everyday Bengali uses this one word for both the belly and the stomach organ. A stomach ache is "pete bytha"

20. পিঠ

    pith

    Back

    Usage

    The upper back. Useful after a long bus or train ride has left it aching

21. কোমর

    komor

    Waist / Lower back

    Usage

    Covers both the waistline and the lower back — used for trouser sizes and for lower-back pain alike

22. নিতম্ব

    nitombo

    Hip

    Usage

    The anatomical word, with no crude overtone. Use it for hip-joint pain or to indicate where an injection goes

23. পা

    pa

    Leg / Foot

    Usage

    Bengali uses one word for the leg and the foot, so point to where it hurts. The sole is "payer pata"

24. হাঁটু

    hatu

    Knee

    Usage

    Easily strained on the steep steps of temples and ruins. Point to it when buying a brace or pain patch

25. গোড়ালি

    gorali

    Heel / Ankle

    Usage

    Covers the heel and ankle area. For a sprain, show the word and point at the spot

26. ত্বক

    tok

    Skin

    Usage

    For a rash, sunburn, or insect bites at a skin clinic or pharmacy. In speech people also say "chamra"

27. হাড়

    har

    Bone

    Usage

    Use it if you suspect a break. "Har bhengechhe" means "the bone is broken"

28. রক্ত

    rokto

    Blood

    Usage

    For bleeding or a blood test. Your blood group is "rokter group"

29. হৃৎপিণ্ড

    hritpindo

    Heart

    Usage

    The organ. The emotional heart is a separate word, "hridoy" — at a clinic use this one

30. ফুসফুস

    fusfus

    Lung

    Usage

    Show it when explaining asthma or another respiratory condition — Dhaka's air sets many travellers off

31. পাকস্থলী

    pakostholi

    Stomach (organ)

    Usage

    The organ itself. Everyday speech makes do with "pet", but this is the word when a doctor needs the exact site

32. অন্ত্র

    ontro

    Intestine

    Usage

    For diarrhoea or a bowel condition — the organ travellers end up naming most often

33. যকৃৎ

    jokrit

    Liver

    Usage

    For liver function or hepatitis. In hospitals the borrowed "livar" works just as well

34. কিডনি

    kidni

    Kidney

    Usage

    A loanword, but the one actually used in clinics and daily life. The formal Bengali term is "brikko"

35. মস্তিষ্ক

    mostishko

    Brain

    Usage

    For a head injury or dizziness. In conversation people often just say "matha" (head)

Browse all TravelPhrases languages