Lesson 53: At The Doctor And Pharmacy
Health situations can feel stressful even in your own language, so this lesson focuses on the German that helps most in the moment: saying what hurts, understanding simple questions, and knowing what to ask for.
In Germany, die Apotheke is especially important because pharmacies are a central part of healthcare. Most medicines are only available from pharmacies, many medicines require a prescription, and even many non-prescription medicines are pharmacy-only.
What You’ll Learn
- How To Say What Hurts
- How To Answer Was Haben Sie?
- How To Talk About Pain In Different Body Parts
- How To Ask For Tablets, Medicine, Antibiotics, Or A Prescription
- How To Understand A Few Common Doctor And Pharmacy Phrases
- How To Wish Someone Gute Besserung Or Gute Erholung
Useful Vocabulary
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Der Arzt | The Doctor |
| Die Ärztin | The Female Doctor |
| Die Apotheke | The Pharmacy |
| Das Rezept | The Prescription |
| Die Tablette | The Tablet / Pill |
| Die Medizin | The Medicine |
| Das Antibiotikum / Die Antibiotika | The Antibiotic / Antibiotics |
| Der Kopf | The Head |
| Der Bauch | The Stomach / Belly |
| Der Hals | The Throat / Neck |
| Der Rücken | The Back |
| Der Arm | The Arm |
| Die Hand | The Hand |
| Das Bein | The Leg |
| Der Fuß | The Foot |
| Die Kopfschmerzen | Headache |
| Die Bauchschmerzen | Stomach Ache |
| Das Fieber | Fever |
| Der Husten | Cough |
| Der Schnupfen | Runny Nose / Cold |
A Very Common Doctor Question
At the doctor’s office or in a pharmacy, you may hear:
Was haben Sie?
What Is Wrong? / What Do You Have?
This is one of the most useful questions in the lesson.
You can answer with a symptom:
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
I Have A Headache.
Ich habe Bauchschmerzen.
I Have A Stomach Ache.
Ich habe Husten.
I Have A Cough.
Ich habe Schnupfen.
I Have A Cold / Runny Nose.
Ich habe Fieber.
I Have A Fever.
Saying What Hurts
German gives you two easy ways to talk about pain.
With Ich Habe …
Use this when you name the problem.
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
I Have A Headache.
Ich habe Bauchschmerzen.
I Have A Stomach Ache.
Ich habe Fieber.
I Have A Fever.
Ich habe Husten.
I Have A Cough.
With Tut Weh
Use this when you want to say which body part hurts.
Der Kopf tut weh.
The Head Hurts.
Der Bauch tut weh.
The Stomach Hurts.
Der Hals tut weh.
The Throat Hurts.
Der Rücken tut weh.
The Back Hurts.
Der Arm tut weh.
The Arm Hurts.
Die Hand tut weh.
The Hand Hurts.
Das Bein tut weh.
The Leg Hurts.
Der Fuß tut weh.
The Foot Hurts.
This is a very practical phrase because it lets you point to the body part and say exactly where the problem is.
Saying Where It Hurts
A doctor may ask:
Wo tut es weh?
Where Does It Hurt?
You can answer very simply:
Hier.
Here.
Der Kopf.
The Head.
Der Rücken.
The Back.
Or with a full sentence:
Der Hals tut weh.
The Throat Hurts.
Das Bein tut weh.
The Leg Hurts.
Why Die Apotheke Matters In Germany
In Germany, the pharmacy dispenses prescription medicines, pharmacy-only medicines, and many other health-related products, and pharmacists also advise about medication and health. Many cold remedies and some painkillers are pharmacy-only, even without a prescription, while some very low-risk OTC items can also be sold outside pharmacies. So when you are sick in Germany, die Apotheke is often one of the first places you need to know.
At The Pharmacy
At the pharmacy, you may want to ask for medicine or explain what you need.
Useful phrases:
Haben Sie Tabletten?
Do You Have Tablets?
Haben Sie Medizin?
Do You Have Medicine?
Haben Sie Antibiotika?
Do You Have Antibiotics?
Ich habe ein Rezept.
I Have A Prescription.
Brauche ich ein Rezept?
Do I Need A Prescription?
These phrases are especially useful in Germany because prescriptions and pharmacy-only medicines are a normal part of the system.
Helpful Things You May Hear
At the doctor’s or in the pharmacy, you may hear short advice like this:
Nehmen Sie eine Tablette.
Take A Tablet.
Trinken Sie Wasser.
Drink Water.
Gehen Sie zum Arzt.
Go To The Doctor.
Hier ist Ihr Rezept.
Here Is Your Prescription.
Nehmen Sie das Antibiotikum.
Take The Antibiotic.
These are short, practical phrases. The main goal is to understand them when you hear them.
Useful Get-Well Phrases
When someone is sick, German often uses short wishes like:
Gute Besserung!
Get Well Soon!
Gute Erholung!
Wishing You A Good Recovery / Rest Well!
Gute Besserung is the more common phrase for someone who is ill. Gute Erholung fits well when someone needs rest and recovery.
Short Conversation At The Pharmacy
Kundin: Guten Tag. Ich habe ein Rezept.
Apothekerin: Danke. Haben Sie auch Husten?
Kundin: Ja, ich habe Husten und Schnupfen.
Apothekerin: Hier sind Tabletten und Medizin.
Kundin: Danke.
Apothekerin: Gute Besserung!
Practice
Optional: Learn more about the names of the body parts in German.
