At the Doctor's: Talking about Health

🩺 Visiting a Doctor in Germany: Talking about Health

Feeling unwell is never pleasant, but knowing how to talk about it in German can make the situation much less stressful. This lesson will equip you with the essential vocabulary and grammar to communicate effectively at the doctor's office (in der Arztpraxis).

▶️ Making an Appointment (Einen Termin vereinbaren)
First, you usually need to call the doctor's office to make an appointment. Remember to have your health insurance card (die Versichertenkarte) ready. Here are some key phrases:

• "Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren." (I would like to make an appointment.)
• "Ich habe starke Schmerzen." (I have severe pain.)
• "Es ist dringend." (It is urgent.)

▶️ Describing Your Symptoms (Symptome beschreiben)
This is the most important part! There are two common ways to talk about what's wrong.

1️⃣ Using "Ich habe" + [Symptom]
This is a simple and direct way to state your problem. The symptom is a noun in the accusative case.

• 🤕 "Ich habe Kopfschmerzen." (I have a headache.)
• 🤒 "Ich habe Fieber." (I have a fever.)
• 🤧 "Ich habe Husten und Schnupfen." (I have a cough and a cold/runny nose.)
• "Ich habe Bauchschmerzen." (I have a stomach ache.)
• "Ich habe Halsschmerzen." (I have a sore throat.)

2️⃣ Using the Dative Verb "wehtun" (to hurt)
This structure is very common in German and a bit different from English. It uses the dative case for the person who is in pain. The structure is: [Dative Pronoun] + tut/tun + [Body Part] + weh.

• Use tut weh for a singular body part.
• Use tun weh for a plural body part.

Examples:

• "Mir tut der Kopf weh." (My head hurts. Literally: To me, the head hurts.)
• "Mir tut der Hals weh." (My throat hurts.)
• "Ihm tut der Rücken weh." (His back hurts.)
• "Was tut Ihnen weh?" (What hurts you? - formal)

Plural examples:

• "Mir tun die Ohren weh." (My ears hurt.)
• "Ihnen tun die Beine weh." (Her legs hurt.)

Other useful phrases to describe how you feel:

• "Ich fühle mich nicht gut." (I don't feel well.)
• "Ich fühle mich schlapp." (I feel weak.)
• "Mir ist schlecht." (I feel sick/nauseous.)
• "Mir ist schwindelig." (I feel dizzy.)

To talk about an injury, you can use the Perfekt tense:

• "Ich habe mich verletzt." (I have injured myself.)
• "Ich bin hingefallen." (I fell down.)
• "Ich habe mir den Arm gebrochen." (I broke my arm.) Notice the reflexive dative pronoun mir here!

▶️ At the Doctor's (Beim Arzt)
The doctor might ask you questions like:

• "Was fehlt Ihnen?" (What's wrong? / What are your symptoms?)
• "Seit wann haben Sie die Beschwerden?" (How long have you had these symptoms?)
• "Haben Sie Fieber?" (Do you have a fever?)
• "Machen Sie bitte den Oberkörper frei." (Please undress your upper body.)

After the examination (die Untersuchung), the doctor will give you a diagnosis and advice.

▶️ Doctor's Advice and Prescriptions (Ärztlicher Rat und Rezepte)

• 📝 das Rezept: The prescription you take to the pharmacy.
• 💊 die Apotheke: The pharmacy.
• die Krankmeldung: A sick note for your employer.

The doctor might use the imperative form to give instructions:

• "Nehmen Sie diese Tabletten dreimal täglich." (Take these tablets three times a day.)
• "Bleiben Sie zwei Tage im Bett." (Stay in bed for two days.)
• "Trinken Sie viel Wasser oder Tee." (Drink a lot of water or tea.)

By learning these phrases, you will be well-prepared for a visit to the doctor. Gute Besserung! (Get well soon!)