German Medical Vocabulary for Doctor Visits: Words, Examples & Practice

Expanding your German medical vocabulary is important when visiting the doctor in German-speaking countries.

This article provides a comprehensive list of vocabulary for beginners and intermediate learners, useful example sentences, quizzes, and short stories to help enhance your language skills in medical contexts.

Whether you’re scheduling appointments, describing symptoms, or understanding medical instructions, mastering these terms will help you to communicate effectively and confidently during your medical visits.

German Vocabulary: At the Doctor – A Full List

die Allergie (the allergy)
die Apotheke (the pharmacy)
der Arzt (the doctor – male)
die Ärztin (the doctor – female)
die Arztpraxis (the doctor’s office)
Bauchschmerzen (abdominal pain)
die Behandlung (the treatment)
der Blutdruck (the blood pressure)
die Diagnose (the diagnosis)
das Fieber (the fever)
die Grippe (the flu)
Halsschmerzen (sore throat)
der Husten (the cough)
die Infektion (the infection)
Kopfschmerzen (headache)
die Krankenversicherung (health insurance)
das Medikament (the medication)
der Notfall (the emergency)
die Operation (the surgery)
der Patient (the patient – male)
die Patientin (the patient – female)
das Rezept (the prescription)
die Salbe (the ointment)
die Sprechstunde (consultation hour)
Symptome (symptoms)
die Untersuchung (the examination)
die Verletzung (the injury)
die Wartezeit (waiting time)

Smiling female doctor with a stethoscope, illustrating German medical vocabulary. — Expand your German medical vocabulary with this image of a smiling doctor including terms like die Ärztin (doctor).

Example Sentences for Medical Vocabulary

Vocabulary	German Example Sentence	English Translation
die Allergie	Er hat eine starke Allergie gegen Nüsse.	He has a strong allergy to nuts.
die Apotheke	Sie geht zur Apotheke, um ihre Medikamente zu kaufen.	She is going to the pharmacy to buy her medications.
der Arzt	Der Arzt wird Sie jetzt sehen.	The doctor will see you now.
die Ärztin	Die Ärztin hat viel Erfahrung.	The doctor has a lot of experience.
die Arztpraxis	Die Arztpraxis ist montags geschlossen.	The doctor’s office is closed on Mondays.
Bauchschmerzen	Ich habe starke Bauchschmerzen.	I have severe abdominal pains.
die Behandlung	Die Behandlung dauert zwei Wochen.	The treatment lasts two weeks.
der Blutdruck	Der Arzt misst seinen Blutdruck.	The doctor is measuring his blood pressure.
die Diagnose	Die Diagnose wurde gestern gestellt.	The diagnosis was made yesterday.
das Fieber	Sie hat hohes Fieber.	She has a high fever.
die Grippe	Er erkrankt oft an der Grippe.	He often gets the flu.
Halsschmerzen	Sie hat Halsschmerzen und Husten.	She has a sore throat and cough.
der Husten	Der Husten wird schlimmer.	The cough is getting worse.
die Infektion	Die Infektion muss behandelt werden.	The infection needs to be treated.
Kopfschmerzen	Er hat seit gestern Kopfschmerzen.	He has had a headache since yesterday.
die Krankenversicherung	Sie muss ihre Krankenversicherung aktualisieren.	She needs to update her health insurance.
das Medikament	Das Medikament hilft gegen die Schmerzen.	The medication helps against the pain.
der Notfall	Im Notfall rufen Sie 112 an.	In an emergency, call 112.
die Operation	Die Operation war erfolgreich.	The surgery was successful.
der Patient	Der Patient wartet auf den Arzt.	The patient is waiting for the doctor.
die Patientin	Die Patientin hat eine Erkältung.	The female patient has a cold.
das Rezept	Der Arzt schreibt ein Rezept aus.	The doctor writes a prescription.
die Salbe	Die Salbe hilft gegen den Ausschlag.	The ointment helps against the rash.
die Sprechstunde	Die Sprechstunde beginnt um 10 Uhr.	The consultation hour starts at 10 AM.
Symptome	Die Symptome sind Fieber und Husten.	The symptoms are fever and cough.
die Untersuchung	Die Untersuchung dauert etwa eine Stunde.	The examination takes about an hour.
die Verletzung	Die Verletzung erfordert ärztliche Hilfe.	The injury requires medical assistance.
die Wartezeit	Die Wartezeit im Arztzimmer war kurz.	The waiting time in the doctor’s office was short.

Practice German Medical Vocabulary with Our Free Quiz

Improve your understanding with our free German medical vocabulary quiz.

Free Video Quiz: A visit to the Doctor

Watch a scenario at a doctor’s office and test your comprehension with an interactive video quiz.

German Short Stories for Everyday Medical Situations

Immerse yourself in our short stories that incorporate medical vocabulary you’ve learned, available for different learning levels.

Niko

Nikolai Beiers (Niko) is a German teacher, content creator, and founder of How To Study German. With 7+ years of experience and 5,000+ online lessons, he helps learners master German efficiently. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work & Pedagogy and a 120-hour TESOL certificate. Niko has authored 100+ German grammar and vocabulary articles and created 80+ quizzes to support learners at all levels.