Body Parts and Health in Russian



Lesson Objective:



By the end of this lesson, learners will be able to name and describe various body parts in Russian, talk about how they feel physically, and describe symptoms of illness using basic Russian vocabulary and sentence structures.



Vocabulary List:



  • Голова (golová) – head

  • Глаз (glaz) – eye

  • Ухо (úkho) – ear

  • Нос (nos) – nose

  • Рот (rot) – mouth

  • Шея (shéya) – neck

  • Плечо (plechó) – shoulder

  • Рука (ruká) – arm/hand

  • Палец (pályets) – finger

  • Нога (nogá) – leg/foot

  • Болит (bolít) – hurts/aches

  • Я болен / Я больна (ya bólen / ya bol'ná) – I am sick (male/female)

  • Температура (temperatúra) – temperature/fever

  • Кашель (káshel') – cough

  • Насморк (násmork) – runny nose



Grammar Point:



In Russian, when talking about pain or illness, the verb «болит» (it hurts) is used with the noun in the nominative singular or plural. For example:



  • У меня болит голова. – My head hurts.

  • У меня болят ноги. – My legs hurt.



«У меня» means “I have” or literally "at me". The verb agrees in number with the subject:



  • болит – singular noun (e.g. болит зуб – the tooth hurts)

  • болят – plural noun (e.g. болят зубы – the teeth hurt)



Exercises:



Reading Comprehension:



Read the following dialogue:



– Привет, как ты себя чувствуешь?

– Не очень хорошо. У меня болит горло, и я кашляю.

– Бедняга! У тебя есть температура?

– Да, 38 градусов. Я думаю, что простудился.



Questions:



  • What symptoms does the person have?

  • What is the person’s body temperature?



Listening Comprehension:



Listen to a short audio (or your teacher reads aloud) where a person describes their visit to the doctor. They mention pain in the back, a high fever, and being given medicine. Take note of the body parts mentioned and what the doctor advises.



Speaking Practice:



Practice the following dialogue with a partner:



– Что у тебя болит?

– У меня болит спина. А у тебя?

– У меня болит нога. Я упал(а) вчера.



Alternatively, describe your symptoms using: «У меня болит...» or «Я болен/больна».



Summary:



In this lesson, you learned the Russian names for common body parts, how to describe health conditions and symptoms, and how to use the verb «болит» to express pain. You practiced listening, speaking, and reading in context.



Homework:



  • Create a short paragraph in Russian describing an illness you might have. Use at least five body-related vocabulary words.

  • Review the vocabulary list and write down any words you find difficult.

  • Watch a short Russian video or cartoon involving a visit to the doctor and write three sentences about it.