German at the doctor and the Apotheke: symptoms and Rezept
Being ill in Germany means two separate buildings and two different conversations: the Praxis, where you need an appointment and a plastic insurance card, and the Apotheke, which is where you buy most actual medicines, including the common painkillers and cold remedies a supermarket would sell you at home. These are the phrases for both, plus the sick note your employer will expect.
Making an appointment
Ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren.
I would like to make an appointment.
Ich bin neu bei Ihnen.
I'm a new patient.
Some practices take new patients only at certain times, or not at all, so this is the first thing to say.
Es ist dringend.
It's urgent.
Nehmen Sie gesetzlich Versicherte?
Do you take patients on public insurance?
Gesetzlich is the public system, privat the private one. Which you are on changes how fast you get a slot.
Hier ist meine Versichertenkarte.
Here is my insurance card.
Haben Sie etwas Früheres?
Do you have anything sooner?
In the Praxis
Ich habe Halsschmerzen.
I have a sore throat.
Symptoms stack onto Schmerzen: Kopfschmerzen, Bauchschmerzen, Rückenschmerzen.
Ich habe seit gestern Fieber.
I've had a fever since yesterday.
Ich habe Rückenschmerzen.
My back hurts.
Ich bin allergisch gegen Penizillin.
I'm allergic to penicillin.
Allergisch gegen is the standard way to name the allergen. Worth saying before anything is prescribed rather than after.
Ich nehme dieses Medikament.
I take this medication.
Kann ich eine Krankschreibung bekommen?
Could I have a sick note?
The document your employer needs. People also call it die AU.
Brauche ich eine Überweisung?
Do I need a referral?
At the Apotheke
Haben Sie etwas gegen eine Erkältung?
Do you have something for a cold?
Ich habe ein Rezept.
I have a prescription.
Gibt es das rezeptfrei?
Is this available without a prescription?
Wie oft soll ich das nehmen?
How often should I take it?
Gibt es ein günstigeres Generikum?
Is there a cheaper generic?
Macht das müde?
Does it make you drowsy?
Welche Apotheke hat heute Notdienst?
Which pharmacy is on duty today?
Notdienst is the rota, not a kind of building. Pharmacies take turns covering nights and Sundays, and the list is posted on the door of every closed one.
False friend traps
Rezept looks like a recipe, but means a prescription
At the Apotheke it is always the prescription. A cooking recipe is also ein Rezept, which is why context does all the work here.
Drogerie looks like a drugstore, but means a shop for toiletries and cosmetics
The chains everyone knows sell shampoo, nappies and supplements. For a painkiller you need die Apotheke.
Überweisung looks like a bank transfer, but means a referral to a specialist, and also a bank transfer
One word for both. In a doctor's practice it is the referral slip you take to the specialist.
Gift looks like a gift, a present, but means poison
The word on the warning label. A present is das Geschenk, and giftig means toxic.
sensibel looks like sensible, but means sensitive
Sensible Haut is sensitive skin. For the English sensible, German uses vernünftig.
Praxis looks like practice, as in rehearsal, but means a doctor's practice, the medical office
Die Praxis ist geschlossen means the doctor's office is closed. The hospital is das Krankenhaus and is a different destination entirely.
FAQ
Common questions
Short answers to what people ask most about this situation.
Why can't I buy painkillers in a supermarket or a Drogerie?
Most medicines people expect to buy for pain, colds or other symptoms are pharmacy-only in Germany, even when they need no prescription. A Drogerie carries cosmetics, cleaning products, supplements and the handful of remedies that are cleared for sale outside a pharmacy. If you rely on something specific, bring it with you and keep the packaging.
What is the difference between Hausarzt and Facharzt?
The Hausarzt is your general practitioner and the usual first stop. A Facharzt is a specialist, and on public insurance you will often be asked for an Überweisung from your Hausarzt before a specialist will book you in.
Do I need a sick note for work?
Tell your employer straight away that you cannot work. A medical certificate is normally required once the illness runs longer than three calendar days, but your employer is allowed to ask for one earlier, so check your contract. For many publicly insured employees the practice files it electronically and the employer retrieves the eAU rather than taking a paper note from you. Ask for it during the appointment, since getting one backdated afterwards is harder.
What do I say when the practice picks up the phone?
Give your surname early, then what you want: Guten Tag, mein Name ist Schmidt, ich möchte einen Termin vereinbaren. Naming yourself in the first breath is standard on a German phone call and the receptionist is waiting for it.