CLINICAL LANGUAGE

Medical Arabic for Healthcare in Saudi Arabia

You know the medicine. The barrier is language. This deck covers 20 medical specialties with the Arabic you actually hear in Saudi hospitals. Both the formal terminology that appears on charts and the colloquial words patients use to describe their symptoms.

2,000+
Cards
20
Specialties
4
Sub-decks
2
Registers

What each sub-deck covers

Foundation265 entries
Focus: Medical basics, body parts, symptoms. Active on delivery.
Themes: Medical Basics, Body Parts and Anatomy, Symptoms and Chief Complaints
Clinical Core295 entries
Focus: History taking, physical exam, diseases, medications, procedures.
Themes: History Taking, Physical Exam, Diseases and Conditions, Medications and Pharmacy, Procedures and Consent
Communication168 entries
Focus: Emergency language, discharge instructions, patient comfort, cultural context, lab and imaging.
Themes: Emergency Communication, Discharge and Follow-up, Patient Comfort and Breaking Bad News, Cultural and Religious Context, Lab and Imaging
Specialties177 entries
Focus: Pediatrics, OB/GYN, mental health, dental/ENT/eye, MSK/rehab, nursing, dietary counseling.
Themes: Pediatrics, OB/GYN, Mental Health Screening, Dental/ENT/Eye, MSK/Rehab, Nursing Procedures and Vitals, Dietary and Lifestyle Counseling

Sample cards

This is exactly what every card looks like. The free sample has 500+ of these.

EIDETIC
وين الألم؟
wēn al-alam?
"Where is the pain?"
وين الألم بالضبط؟ هنا ولا هنا؟
"Where exactly is the pain? Here or here?"
A1 · Clinical · Colloquial
EIDETIC
حبوب
ḥubūb
"pills / tablets"
تاخذ الحبوب مرتين باليوم بعد الأكل
"Take the pills twice a day after meals"
A1 · Clinical · Formal

Study timeline

First 4 weeks
Foundation sub-deck: the words you need on day one.

The Foundation sub-deck (265 entries) is active on delivery. It covers body parts, basic symptoms, and medical fundamentals. 20 new cards per day. These are the words patients use to tell you where it hurts and what they feel.

Weeks 5-10
Clinical Core: build your bedside vocabulary.

Unsuspend the Clinical Core sub-deck (295 entries). Focus on History Taking and Medications first, since you will use these in every patient encounter. Physical Exam vocabulary follows naturally as you start examining patients.

Weeks 11+
Communication and Specialties: context-specific vocabulary.

Unsuspend Communication and Specialties as you rotate through departments. Emergency Communication is high-priority if you work in the ER. Cultural and Religious Context should be studied early if you are new to Saudi Arabia.

Is this deck right for you?

Built for you if:
  • You are a healthcare professional working in or moving to Saudi Arabia.
  • You know English medical terminology but cannot communicate with patients in Arabic.
  • You need both the formal chart Arabic and the colloquial bedside Arabic.
Not the right fit if:
  • You need everyday conversational Arabic first. Start with the Saudi Dialect deck.
  • You are working in Egypt or the Levant. This deck uses Saudi colloquial Arabic specifically.

Related resources

Frequently asked questions

Both. Every clinical concept is taught in two registers: the Saudi colloquial that patients actually speak ("I have sugar" for diabetes) and the simplified MSA that appears on charts and in documentation. The colloquial form is the primary card because that is what you hear at bedside.
The deck includes transliteration on every card, so you can read the pronunciation even if you are still learning the Arabic script. However, learning to read Arabic script will significantly improve your ability to read medical charts and documentation in Saudi hospitals.
The Saudi Dialect deck teaches everyday conversational Arabic (43 themes, 5,200+ cards). Medical Arabic focuses exclusively on clinical vocabulary: the 20 medical specialties you encounter in a hospital. There is about 10-15% overlap in basic words like hospital, pain, and sick. If you need both daily life and clinical Arabic, the Complete Saudi Arabic bundle includes both decks at a discount.
Foundation is active on delivery for a reason. It contains body parts, basic symptoms, and medical fundamentals. You need these words from your first day. The Quick Start PDF included with the deck explains how to unsuspend additional sub-decks as you progress.
Yes. Every card is tagged by role (doctor, nurse, pharmacist, student, or all). The Foundation and Communication sub-decks are relevant for all healthcare workers. The Specialties sub-deck includes dedicated Nursing Procedures and Vitals entries. Pharmacists benefit most from the Medications and Pharmacy theme and the Dietary/Lifestyle Counseling section.
Yes. Cultural and religious context is embedded into relevant clinical themes. Ramadan fasting and medication timing is in the Medications theme. Prayer times during admission is in the Procedures theme. Gender preferences for examiners is in Physical Exam. A standalone Cultural and Religious Context theme covers items that do not fit elsewhere.

Medical Arabic Deck

$29.99
One-time purchase. Not a subscription. Free updates for the life of the product.