polski · A2 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Health and the pharmacy
Describe symptoms, duration, and treatment at a pharmacy.
Understand the choice
Health communication separates symptom, duration, and treatment. Use boli mnie…, mam…od…, and lek na/przeciw… while observing lexical case patterns.
Core rule: Od + genitive marks a starting point; przeciw/na + case appears in medicine indications.
Notice it in context
Od wczoraj boli mnie gardło i mam lekką gorączkę.
Since yesterday my throat hurts and I have a slight fever.
Od wczoraj gives duration start; gardło controls boli; gorączkę is accusative after mam.
Apteka ma lek na kaszel i tabletki przeciw bólowi.
The pharmacy has cough medicine and tablets against pain.
Apteka, lek, kaszel, tabletka, and ból appear across case forms.
Recepta jest potrzebna przy silnym przeziębieniu.
A prescription is required for a severe cold.
Recepta is subject; przeziębienie appears locative after przy.
What to remember
- Lek is a medicine; lekarstwo is a near synonym and figurative remedy.
- Recepta is prescription; przepis is a recipe/instruction.
Common trap: Do not say jestem gorączka. Use mam gorączkę.