Beim Arzt
Being able to describe a symptom and book an appointment in German removes one of the biggest sources of anxiety about living abroad. Today reuses haben (Lesson 7), können (Lesson 11), and time-telling (Lesson 10) on a new, practical topic.
| der Kopf | head | der Bauch | stomach/belly |
| der Hals | throat | das Fieber | fever |
| die Schmerzen (pl.) | pain | die Erkältung | cold (illness) |
Mein Kopf tut weh. (My head hurts.)
Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. (I have a headache - Kopf + Schmerzen combined into one noun)
Ich habe Fieber.
German loves combining nouns like this: Kopfschmerzen (headache), Bauchschmerzen (stomachache), Halsschmerzen (sore throat) - all built from body part + Schmerzen.
Ich möchte einen Termin, bitte. (reusing möchten from Lesson 11)
Haben Sie heute einen Termin frei? (Do you have a free appointment today?)
Können Sie mich um 14 Uhr einplanen? (Can you schedule me for 2pm?)
Was fehlt Ihnen? (What's wrong? - literally "what's missing from you," standard doctor phrasing)
Seit wann haben Sie das? (Since when have you had this?)
Nehmen Sie das Medikament dreimal täglich. (Take the medication three times daily.)
1. What's the German word for "fever"?
2. "My head hurts." - Mein Kopf ______ weh.
3. What does "Was fehlt Ihnen?" mean?
4. "I have a headache." - Ich habe ______.
5. What's the German word for "cold" (the illness)?
Vocabulary cross-checked against the "Gesundheit" (health) topic in the official Goethe-Zertifikat A1 Wortliste.
Have a specific symptom you want to know how to describe? Ask your teaching agent for the exact phrase.