Dothraki Body Parts and Anatomy Vocabulary — Complete Guide
Dothraki Body Vocabulary
In Dothraki culture, the body is a battle record. Scars are honored. Hands are calluses earned by the arakh. Eyes are measured by what they have seen on the killing field.
The vocabulary of the body — words for hand, heart, blood, bone, scar — is small but precise, and packed with idiomatic meaning. This is the complete guide.
Head and face
| Dothraki | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| qoy | KOY | Blood |
| tih | TEEH | Bone / heart / center (rich metaphorical word) |
| qora | KOH-rah | Hand / cup |
| rai | RYE | Leg |
| shieraki | shee-EH-rah-kee | Eye (also "star" — the metaphor is universal) |
| lekh | LEKH | Tongue / language |
| avazh | AH-vahzh | Mouth |
| jal | JAHL | Hair |
| yom | YOHM | Beard (a sign of seniority among Dothraki) |
The most layered: shieraki means both "eye" and "star." A Dothraki who praises someone's shieraki vezhven ("magnificent eyes") is saying they see clearly, like the stars. The same compound appears in shieraki gori ha yeraan — "the stars rage at you," used as a warning.
Torso and core
| Dothraki | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| tih | TEEH | Heart / center / bone of being |
| qoy | KOY | Blood |
| jeshof | JE-shof | Chest |
| zhokwa | ZHOK-wah | Belly / stomach |
| rikhi | REE-khee | Ribs / side |
| yoma | YOH-mah | Back / shoulder-blade |
| vahla | VAH-lah | Skin |
Tih is the most overloaded word in this list. Originally "bone" (the literal hard structure), it expanded to mean "core" (the inner self), then "heart" (the seat of courage). When a Dothraki swears tih anha, "by my bone/heart," it's the most binding oath they can give.
For the broader oath language: Dothraki proverbs.
Limbs
| Dothraki | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| qora | KOH-rah | Hand |
| qoraan | KOH-rah-an | Fist (closed hand) |
| rai | RYE | Leg |
| taokh | TAO-kh | Foot |
| rikh | REEKH | Arm |
| moskoon | MOS-koon | Knee |
| vorsakh | VOR-sakh | Wrist / joint (literally "fire-joint" — moves like flame) |
Notice the absence of words for "elbow," "shin," "ankle." Dothraki anatomy is the functional joints of riding and fighting. A warrior doesn't need to talk about elbows; they need to talk about wrists, knees, and what holds the arakh.
For the warrior vocabulary that pairs with these body words: Klingon warrior phrases for comparison.
Blood and fluid
Blood is the central body concept in Dothraki — culturally, ritually, linguistically.
| Dothraki | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| qoy | KOY | Blood |
| qoyi | KOY-ee | Blood (used as accusative / object form) |
| qoyali | KOY-ah-lee | Bloodrider — sworn brother |
| qoyofat | KOY-oh-fat | Bloodline / kin |
| qora qoyi | KOH-rah KOY-ee | "Blood-hand" — a hand stained with kill |
| qoy oma | KOY OH-mah | Blood-water (= tears mixed with blood, ceremony) |
| adra | AHD-rah | Sweat |
| eveth | EH-veth | Water (in body context: tears) |
A khal's qoyali — bloodriders — swear an oath that their veins are joined with his. They share blood literally (the wedding ceremony involves drinking from a shared cup of mare's milk and stallion blood) and figuratively. When the khal dies, the bloodriders must die with him.
See Daenerys Dothraki phrases for canon examples of qoyali in dialogue.
Hair, scars, and marks
The body as record:
| Dothraki | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| jal | JAHL | Hair (length is a sign of warrior status — long hair = many victories) |
| jalan | JAH-lan | Braid (a Dothraki cuts their braid only after a defeat — the symbol of failure) |
| yom | YOHM | Beard (signals age and seniority) |
| ofrakh | OF-rakh | Scar (always spoken of with pride) |
| vezhven ofrakh | VEZH-ven OF-rakh | "Magnificent scar" — the highest compliment about a warrior's body |
| tihaki | tee-HAH-kee | Marks of warriorhood (collective — scars + braid + tattoo) |
The braid is the most powerful body symbol in Dothraki culture. Khal Drogo's braid in Game of Thrones season 1 reaches below his waist — every inch of it represents a battle won. When a Dothraki is defeated, they must cut the braid, and they often cannot face their khalasar again.
For the cultural register: Khal Drogo quotes.
Senses
| Dothraki | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| tih | TEEH | To see (as a verb; same root as "eye") |
| charoki | chah-ROH-kee | To hear |
| davrakh | dav-RAKH | To smell (a positive scent) |
| affesat | af-FE-saht | To stink / smell foul |
| lekhi | LEH-khee | To taste / to speak (the tongue does both) |
| tih shieraki | TEEH shee-EH-rah-kee | "Star-sight" — to see truly (idiomatic) |
Two of the most interesting senses are davrakh and affesat. The Dothraki have separate verbs for "smell-good" and "smell-bad" — there's no neutral "to smell" word. Either a scent is honored (the smell of a horse, of hrakkar, of an honest woman) or it disgusts (city perfume, decay, fear-sweat).
Lekhi is the Dothraki verb for both "to taste" and "to speak." The tongue does both jobs, and Dothraki sees no reason to separate them. A speech that's well-received is lekhi vezhven — "magnificent tongue-work" — same compliment as for a meal.
Body part idioms
This is where Dothraki body vocabulary becomes powerful.
| Idiom | Literal | Real meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Tih anha | "My heart" | Used as an oath ("I swear by my heart") |
| Tih khali | "Heart of a khal" | Lion-hearted, courageous |
| Tih ifaki | "Heart of a city-slave" | Cowardly, weak |
| Qora atthirari | "Hand of life" | A healer, midwife |
| Qora qoyi | "Blood-hand" | A killer, executioner |
| Lekh vezhven | "Magnificent tongue" | A great orator / singer |
| Lekh ifaki | "Tongue of a city-person" | Someone who talks too much |
| Shieraki gori ha yeraan | "Stars rage at you" | A warning of doom |
| Vahla qoyi | "Bloody skin" | A warrior covered in his enemies' blood (compliment) |
| Ofrakh anha | "My scar" | Said of a memory of pain; "my old wound" |
| Yeraan affesi anna | "You stink me" | "You disgust me" — strong insult |
| Adra anhoon | "Sweat of my brow" | Honest labor; effort |
| Yom anha | "My beard" | Used as a measure: "by my beard, I swear" |
For more idiomatic usage see Dothraki insults and Dothraki proverbs.
Body parts in horse vocabulary
The Dothraki share body words between humans and horses — there's nothing demeaning about it; it's the highest compliment.
A khal's horse has tih (a heart), shieraki (eyes — and stars), rai (legs), jal (hair). When the Dothraki say jal vezh, "magnificent stallion-hair" (mane), they use the same word for hair that they use for a warrior's braid.
A few horse-specific extensions:
| Dothraki | English |
|---|---|
| zhokwa hrazef | "Horse-belly" — the curve of a pregnant mare |
| taokh hrazef | "Horse-foot" — hoof |
| vorsa shieraki | "Fire-eye" — a wild-eyed horse, or warrior in battle frenzy |
For the full horse vocabulary: Dothraki horse vocabulary.
Body in the wedding and funeral
Two of the most ceremonial moments in Dothraki culture invoke body vocabulary directly.
Wedding — the bride's body words
When a Dothraki marries, the bride is praised in language that describes her body as a battleground and a vessel.
Tih a yer vezhven — "Your heart is magnificent" (= you are brave enough to be a khaleesi)
Yeri jal vezh, jin shafka — "Your hair is stallion's hair, this lady" (a praise of length and dignity)
Qora a yer kifindiraan attihas — "Your hand will bring forth" (= you will bear children)
For more: Dothraki wedding ceremony explained.
Funeral — the body returns
Tih a mae yomahas hrazef — "His heart rides with the stallion" (= his courage continues in the herd)
Ofrakh a mae kaffat asshekh — "His scars are stones today" (= his battles are remembered as monuments)
Vorsa adakhas tih mae — "The fire eats his bones" (the funeral pyre)
These phrases are not directly attested in Game of Thrones but use canon vocabulary and grammar. Peterson's Dothraki is rich enough that fan-written ceremonies can be linguistically defensible.
Vocabulary checklist — 25 essential body words
For quick reference:
- qoy — blood
- tih — heart / bone / center
- qora — hand
- rai — leg
- shieraki — eye (and star)
- lekh — tongue
- avazh — mouth
- jal — hair
- yom — beard
- jeshof — chest
- zhokwa — belly
- vahla — skin
- qoraan — fist
- taokh — foot
- rikh — arm
- moskoon — knee
- ofrakh — scar
- jalan — braid
- adra — sweat
- eveth — water (= tears in body context)
- qoyali — bloodrider
- qoyofat — bloodline
- tihaki — warrior body-marks (collective)
- charoki — to hear
- davrakh — to smell good
For the broader vocabulary: Dothraki vocabulary list — 100 words.
Why the body matters in Dothraki
Most languages have neutral body vocabulary. Dothraki doesn't. Every word for body part either implies warriorhood (a hand that holds a weapon, a heart that doesn't fail, a braid that grows with victories) or implies its opposite (a tongue that talks too much, a skin that hasn't bled, a heart of a city-slave).
This is one of the most beautiful design choices Peterson made. The vocabulary is the culture. You don't need to explain Dothraki values in a textbook — you just count how many body words are also insults or compliments depending on context.
When you next watch a Dothraki scene, listen for tih, qoy, qora, jal. Half the dialogue is body words.
Further reading
- Dothraki language basics — grammar context
- Dothraki greetings — body words in formal speech
- Dothraki horse vocabulary — shared anatomy
- Dothraki battle cries — body in combat
- Dothraki food and cooking words — companion vocab guide
- Daenerys Dothraki phrases — canon dialogue with body vocabulary
Drop one of these into your next watch-through. Tih a yer vezhven. Your heart is magnificent.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Dothraki word for heart?
The Dothraki word for heart is "tih" (TEEH) — though "tih" originally means "bone" and shifted by metaphor to also mean the seat of courage. "Tih khali" means "lion-heart" or "warrior-heart." For the literal anatomical heart in a horse-heart ceremony context, Dothraki uses "havzhi qoyi" — "bloody meat."
How do you say hand in Dothraki?
The Dothraki word for hand is "qora" (KOH-rah) — which doubles as the word for "cup" or "drinking vessel," because both are things the hand holds. The word for a closed fist is "qoraan" (KOH-rah-an), used in martial vocabulary. "Qora atthirari" — "hand of life" — is the idiom for a healer or midwife.
Does Dothraki distinguish between body parts of humans and horses?
Mostly no — and that's a cultural feature. The Dothraki use the same words for horse legs and human legs (rai), horse hearts and human hearts (tih), horse eyes and human eyes (tih shieraki). The shared vocabulary reflects how closely a Dothraki rider identifies with their horse. Distinctions exist only when needed (a saddle word, a hoof word) — see our horse vocabulary guide.
What are some Dothraki body-part insults?
The most famous: "Yer affesi anna" (You disgust me — literally "you infect my body"); "ifak qoyi" (worthless blood — said about cowards); "lekhaan ifakaan" (tongue of a city-person — for someone who talks too much and fights too little). Many Dothraki body words become insults when paired with "ifak" (slave/foreigner).
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