🏥 German at the Doctor’s Office
Your Body is Like a House — Let’s Learn to Talk About It!
Imagine your body is a house where you live every day. Your head is the roof, your arms are the windows, your legs are the pillars, and your tummy is the cozy living room! 🏠
When something goes wrong with a house, you call a repair person. When something goes wrong with your body-house, you visit a doctor — in German: der Arzt (for a man) or die Ärztin (for a woman).
Today, we’ll learn how to describe our body-house in German and ask for help when we need it!
🧍 Part 1: Health and Body Vocabulary
The Body Parts — Your House Has Many Rooms!
Let’s take a tour of your body-house and learn the German names:
| English | German | Pronunciation Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Head | der Kopf | “kopf” (like “cough” + “pf”) |
| Eye | das Auge | “OW-guh” |
| Ear | das Ohr | “ohr” (like “or”) |
| Nose | die Nase | “NAH-zuh” |
| Mouth | der Mund | “moont” |
| Throat | der Hals | “halss” |
| Arm | der Arm | same as English! |
| Hand | die Hand | same as English! |
| Finger | der Finger | “FING-er” |
| Leg | das Bein | “bine” |
| Foot | der Fuß | “fooss” |
| Back | der Rücken | “RÜ-ken” |
| Stomach | der Bauch | “bowkh” |
| Heart | das Herz | “hairts” |
🎯 Memory Trick!
Think of Kopf (head) as the “top” of your body — both words have that “op” sound!
How Do You Feel? — Describing Your Health
When someone asks “Wie geht es Ihnen?” (How are you? - formal) or “Wie geht es dir?” (How are you? - informal), you can say:
Feeling Good:
- Mir geht es gut. — I’m feeling good.
- Ich bin gesund. — I am healthy.
Feeling Not So Good:
- Mir geht es nicht gut. — I’m not feeling well.
- Ich bin krank. — I am sick.
Common Health Problems — What’s Wrong With Your House?
Sometimes parts of your body-house have problems. Here’s how to describe them:
| Problem | German | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | die Schmerzen | Ich habe Schmerzen. (I have pain.) |
| Headache | die Kopfschmerzen | Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. (I have a headache.) |
| Stomachache | die Bauchschmerzen | Ich habe Bauchschmerzen. (I have a stomachache.) |
| Sore throat | die Halsschmerzen | Ich habe Halsschmerzen. (I have a sore throat.) |
| Fever | das Fieber | Ich habe Fieber. (I have a fever.) |
| Cold | die Erkältung | Ich habe eine Erkältung. (I have a cold.) |
| Cough | der Husten | Ich habe Husten. (I have a cough.) |
| Runny nose | der Schnupfen | Ich habe Schnupfen. (I have a runny nose.) |
🎯 The Magic Word: Schmerzen
Schmerzen means “pain” — just add the body part in front!
- Kopf + Schmerzen = Kopfschmerzen (headache)
- Bauch + Schmerzen = Bauchschmerzen (stomachache)
- Zahn + Schmerzen = Zahnschmerzen (toothache)
It’s like building with LEGO blocks! 🧱
🩺 Part 2: At the Doctor (Beim Arzt)
Arriving at the Doctor’s Office
When you arrive at the doctor’s office (die Arztpraxis), here’s what happens:
Step 1: Check In The receptionist (die Sprechstundenhilfe) will greet you:
Receptionist: Guten Tag! Haben Sie einen Termin? (Hello! Do you have an appointment?)
You: Ja, ich habe einen Termin um 10 Uhr. (Yes, I have an appointment at 10 o’clock.)
Step 2: Insurance Card
Receptionist: Ihre Versicherungskarte, bitte. (Your insurance card, please.)
You: Hier, bitte. (Here you go.)
Talking to the Doctor
The doctor will ask you questions. Let’s practice!
Doctor’s Questions:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Was fehlt Ihnen? | What’s wrong? |
| Wo tut es weh? | Where does it hurt? |
| Seit wann haben Sie die Schmerzen? | How long have you had the pain? |
| Haben Sie Fieber? | Do you have a fever? |
| Nehmen Sie Medikamente? | Are you taking any medication? |
Your Answers:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Mir ist schlecht. | I feel nauseous. |
| Mein Kopf tut weh. | My head hurts. |
| Ich habe seit gestern Schmerzen. | I’ve had pain since yesterday. |
| Seit einer Woche. | For one week. |
| Ja/Nein. | Yes/No. |
A Complete Doctor Visit — Story Time! 📖
Let’s follow little Max to the doctor:
Max: Guten Tag, Frau Doktor. (Hello, Doctor.)
Ärztin: Guten Tag, Max. Was fehlt dir? (Hello, Max. What’s wrong?)
Max: Ich habe Bauchschmerzen und mir ist schlecht. (I have a stomachache and I feel nauseous.)
Ärztin: Seit wann hast du die Schmerzen? (How long have you had the pain?)
Max: Seit gestern Abend. (Since last night.)
Ärztin: Okay, ich untersuche dich jetzt. (Okay, I’ll examine you now.)
After the examination…
Ärztin: Du hast eine Magenverstimmung. Nimm diese Tabletten. (You have an upset stomach. Take these tablets.)
Max: Danke, Frau Doktor! (Thank you, Doctor!)
At the Pharmacy (In der Apotheke)
After visiting the doctor, you might need medicine from the pharmacy (die Apotheke):
Useful Phrases:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich habe ein Rezept. | I have a prescription. |
| Ich brauche Schmerztabletten. | I need pain tablets. |
| Haben Sie etwas gegen Husten? | Do you have something for a cough? |
| Wie oft soll ich das nehmen? | How often should I take this? |
| Vor oder nach dem Essen? | Before or after meals? |
Common Medicines:
- die Tablette — tablet/pill
- der Sirup — syrup
- die Salbe — ointment/cream
- das Pflaster — bandage/plaster
- die Tropfen — drops
🚨 Emergency Situations
If something is very serious:
| Situation | German |
|---|---|
| Call an ambulance! | Rufen Sie einen Krankenwagen! |
| I need help! | Ich brauche Hilfe! |
| It’s an emergency! | Es ist ein Notfall! |
| Where is the hospital? | Wo ist das Krankenhaus? |
Emergency Number in Germany: 112 (like 911)
🎯 Key Sentences to Remember
The Top 10 Most Useful Phrases:
- Ich brauche einen Arzt. — I need a doctor.
- Ich habe Schmerzen. — I have pain.
- Wo tut es weh? — Where does it hurt?
- Hier tut es weh. — It hurts here.
- Ich habe Fieber. — I have a fever.
- Ich bin allergisch gegen… — I am allergic to…
- Ich brauche ein Rezept. — I need a prescription.
- Haben Sie etwas gegen Kopfschmerzen? — Do you have something for headaches?
- Gute Besserung! — Get well soon!
- Es geht mir besser. — I’m feeling better.
🏁 You Did It!
Now you know how to:
- ✅ Name body parts in German
- ✅ Describe how you feel
- ✅ Explain what hurts
- ✅ Talk to a doctor
- ✅ Get medicine at a pharmacy
- ✅ Handle emergencies
Remember: Your body is your house. Take care of it, and now you can ask for help in German when you need repairs! 🏠❤️
Gute Besserung! (Get well soon!) And if you’re already healthy: Bleib gesund! (Stay healthy!)