Sick Day Lingo in Hebrew: The vocabulary you need

Your kid woke up with glazed eyes, a warm forehead, and zero interest in breakfast. You already know this day is going sideways. Now add to that the task of calling the Kupat Cholim, explaining symptoms in Hebrew to a nurse, and figuring out what the pharmacist is asking you at the counter, and a sick day in Israel can feel like a lot.

Here’s the good news: you don't need to be fluent. You need maybe 30 words and phrases to get through it just fine, and there are below:

The symptoms

• Chom (חום): Fever

• Shi'ul (שיעול): Cough

• Nazelet (נזלת): Runny nose

• Ke'ev oznayim (כאב אוזניים): Ear pain

• Ke'ev garon (כאב גרון): Sore throat

• Haka'ot (הקאות): Vomiting

• Shilshul (שלשול): Diarrhea

• Pricha (פריחה): Rash

• Daleket oznayim (דלקת אוזניים): Ear infection

• Daleket garon (דלקת גרון): Tonsillitis

At the Kupat Cholim

• Tor (תור): Appointment

• Rofe mishpacha (רופא משפחה): Family doctor

• Hafnaya (הפניה): Referral, you'll need this to see a specialist

• Mirsham (מרשם): Prescription

• Antibiotika (אנטיביוטיקה): Antibiotic

• Trufa (תרופה): Medication

• Chisoon (חיסון): Vaccine

• Tipul refui (טיפול רפואי): Medical treatment

• Rofeh yeladim (רופא ילדים): Pediatrician

• Bdikat dam (בדיקת דם): Blood test

• Bet cholim (בית חולים): Hospital

Navigating the system

When your child is sick, knowing who to call and where to go makes all the difference:

• For a regular illness, start with your Kupat Cholim app or website to book an appointment with your doctor

• If you’re unsure if you need to see a doctor, every Kupat Cholim has a nurse line staffed by real medical professionals who can assess symptoms, advise on medication, and tell you whether you need to be seen.

• For situations that can't wait until morning: Most Kupot Cholim have a Moked (urgent care clinic) which is open evenings, weekends, and during Chagim.

• For serious emergencies, you can visit the Emergency Room at the Hospital, but that requires a referral (which you can get retroactively if it’s really urgent). Another option is TEREM, which is an emergency room which generally doesn’t require a referral, but the wait is generally long.

• Of course for emergencies, call Magen David Adom at 101.

Sick days in a second language, with a new system, and when you're running on no sleep are a special kind of hard. But now you have the words, and knowing what to say and who to call can truly make a difference.