اسہال
ishāl/ɪs.ɦɑːl/masculine
Diarrhea in Urdu can be expressed as اسہال (ishāl) or دست.
Meaning: medical condition (noun)
Ways to say it
| Urdu | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| اسہال | ishāl | /ɪs.ɦɑːl/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
| دست | dast | /d̪əst̪/ (Standard, Urdu) | masculine |
The terms are used to describe the medical condition of diarrhea. To express the phrase 'to have diarrhea', you use the verb honā with the noun, resulting in اسہال ہونا.
Which one should you use?
اسہال (ishāl) is the formal or medical term for the condition. In contrast, دست (dast) is the common, colloquial way to refer to diarrhea in spoken Urdu.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɪs.ɦɑːl/ (ishāl).
Did you know?
- The word دست is a cognate of the English word 'dexterous', as both originate from a Proto-Indo-European root referring to the hand.
- The colloquial term دست (dast) is a linguistic 'false friend' for English speakers, as it actually means 'hand' in Persian and Urdu.
- In traditional Unani medicine, which is still practiced in parts of Pakistan and India, اسہال is treated as a systemic imbalance of humors rather than just a digestive issue.
Examples in context
- اسہال کی وجہ سے بہت کمزوری ہے۔Is-haal ki wajah se bohat kamzori hai.There is a lot of weakness due to diarrhea.
- بچے کو اسہال ہو رہا ہے۔Bachay ko is-haal ho raha hai.The child is having diarrhea.
- کیا آپ کو اسہال ہے؟Kya aap ko is-haal hai?Do you have diarrhea?
Example conversation
Omar is visiting a doctor for health advice.
- عمر Omarڈاکٹر، مجھے کل سے اسہال ہے۔Doctor, mujhe kal se ishaal hai.Doctor, I have had diarrhea since yesterday.
- زینب Zainabعمر، کیا آپ نے کچھ باہر کا کھایا تھا؟Omar, kya aap ne kuch bahar ka khaya tha?Omar, did you eat something from outside?
- عمر Omarجی، میں نے کل بازار سے کھانا کھایا تھا۔Ji, maine kal bazaar se khana khaya tha.Yes, I ate food from the market yesterday.
- زینب Zainabٹھیک ہے، میں آپ کو دوا لکھ دیتی ہوں۔Theek hai, mein aap ko dawa likh deti hoon.Alright, I will prescribe some medicine for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diarrhea” translations and entries اسہال, دست, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries اسہال, دست, CC BY-SA 4.0.
