Italian for the pharmacy: symptoms, medicine and false friends
Italian farmacie are marked with a green cross, and pharmacists can help with minor issues without a doctor's visit. These are the phrases for describing symptoms, plus the handful of words that can cause real confusion at the counter.
Describing symptoms
Ho mal di testa.
I have a headache.
Forse ho il naso chiuso, non so se è grave.
I might have a stuffy nose, I'm not sure if it's serious.
Ho la febbre.
I have a fever.
Mi fa male la pancia.
My stomach hurts.
Ce l'ho da due giorni.
I've had it for two days.
At the counter
Avete qualcosa per il mal di testa?
Do you have something for a headache?
Serve la ricetta?
Do I need a prescription?
Quante volte al giorno lo devo prendere?
How many times a day should I take this?
Avete la crema solare?
Do you have sunscreen?
Vendete i preservativi?
Do you sell condoms?
preservativi means condoms. A food preservative is conservante.
Non sono costipato, credo sia solo un raffreddore.
I'm not blocked up, I think it's just a cold.
costipato is ambiguous in Italian and can suggest a stuffy nose or constipation depending on the speaker. Say raffreddore for a cold or stitico for constipated to be unmistakable.
Explaining and problems
È stato un incidente.
It was an accident.
incidente does cover accidents, but in everyday use it leans toward car crashes and mishaps.
Non è una vergogna, è solo una disgrazia.
It's not a disgrace, it's just bad luck.
disgrazia means misfortune or accident, not disgrace. Disgrace, shame, is vergogna.
Per favore non lo disturbi, sta riposando.
Please don't bother him, he's resting.
Devo vedere un medico.
I need to see a doctor.
Dov'è l'ospedale più vicino?
Where's the nearest hospital?
False friend traps
preservativo looks like preservative, but means condom
Ask for conservante if you actually mean a food preservative. Preservativo at a pharmacy means condom, with no ambiguity.
incidente looks like incident, but means accident
Un incidente stradale is a car accident. A minor incident or small event is often just un episodio or un caso.
disgrazia looks like disgrace, but means misfortune, accident
Che disgrazia! means what a misfortune, describing an accident, not shame. Disgrace, shame, is vergogna.
molestare looks like molest, but means to bother, pester
Non mi molestare just means stop bothering me, milder than the English word, though disturbare is the safer everyday choice.
costipato looks like constipated, but means stuffy, blocked (regionally, sometimes constipated)
This one is genuinely ambiguous even for Italians. Say raffreddore for a cold or stitico for constipated so the pharmacist knows exactly what you need.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
Can an Italian pharmacist help without a doctor's visit?
For minor complaints, yes. Italian pharmacists (farmacisti) are trained to recommend over-the-counter remedies and are often the first stop before a doctor. Antibiotics still require a ricetta (prescription).
How do I find a pharmacy outside opening hours?
Look for a farmacia di turno, a rotating pharmacy that stays open overnight or on holidays. The schedule is usually posted on the door of every pharmacy in town, or check online for farmacie di turno plus the city name.
Is costipato safe to say?
It's genuinely ambiguous, even to Italians, and meaning can shift by speaker. Being specific with raffreddore (cold) or stitico (constipated) avoids any confusion at the counter.
What does the green cross outside a pharmacy mean?
It's the universal sign for a farmacia in Italy, and the ones lit up and flashing are open. During off-hours, a sign nearby usually lists the nearest farmacia di turno that is.