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Emergencies & health

How to Say “I Have a Headache” in Turkish

The usual way to say “I have a headache” in Turkish is Başım ağrıyor. It is neutral: safe in almost any situation. Below are 3 alternatives (informal), how to reply, an example dialogue and the grammar behind it.

In Turkish

Başım ağrıyor

Literally
“my head is aching”
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Neutralsafe in almost any situation

How Başım ağrıyor is built

  1. baş-ımmy head
  2. ağrı-ache
  3. -yorpresent continuous
Grammar guideTurkish Possessive Suffixes (İyelik Ekleri) & Noun Compounds →Grammar guideTurkish Present Continuous Tense (-iyor): Step-by-Step Conjugation Guide →Grammar guideTurkish Compound Nouns (İsim Tamlamaları): Definite, Indefinite and Material Compounds →Conjugate the verbağrımak (to hurt, to ache) →

Other ways to say “I have a headache”

  • Başım çatlıyorInformal

    “my head is cracking”

    “My head is splitting”.

  • Migrenim varNeutral

    “I have a migraine”

    Var for conditions.

  • Baş ağrısı için bir şey var mı?Neutral

    “is there something for a headache?”

    At a pharmacy.

How to reply

  • Geçmiş olsun. Ağrı kesici ister misin?

    Sorry to hear that. Do you want a painkiller?

Example dialogue

  1. A

    Başım çok ağrıyor.

    I have a bad headache.

  2. B

    Geçmiş olsun, bir ağrı kesici al ve biraz uzan.

    Sorry to hear it; take a painkiller and lie down for a bit.

Related phrases

All phrases →
It hurts hereBurası ağrıyorNeutralWhere is the nearest pharmacy?En yakın eczane nerede?NeutralI’m sickHastayımNeutralI feel dizzyBaşım dönüyorNeutral

More emergencies & health

Go deeper

GuideAt the Turkish Pharmacy & Hospital: Symptoms, Eczane & Healthcare Vocabulary

“I have a headache” in Turkish: FAQ

How do you say “I have a headache” in Turkish?

The most common way is Başım ağrıyor (literally “my head is aching”), which is neutral: safe in almost any situation. You will also hear Başım çatlıyor (“my head is cracking”): “My head is splitting”.

How do you reply to Başım ağrıyor?

Typical replies are Geçmiş olsun. Ağrı kesici ister misin? (“Sorry to hear that. Do you want a painkiller?”).

What does each part of Başım ağrıyor mean?

baş-ım = my head; ağrı- = ache; -yor = present continuous. Turkish says “my head aches”, not “I have a headache”: başım ağrıyor.

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