There's a specific kind of helplessness in knowing exactly what's wrong with you and not being able to say it in the language of the person in front of you.
You've had this pain for three days. It's in your lower right abdomen. It's worse when you move and slightly better when you lie still. You know this. You could describe it precisely to a doctor in your language. But your German consists of "Ich habe Schmerzen" — I have pain — and a general waving gesture at your midsection.
This article is about fixing that. Not comprehensively — a complete medical German vocabulary would fill a textbook — but practically. The words below cover the conversations that expats actually have in German surgeries, pharmacies, and urgent care facilities.
The Core Question
Was sind Ihre Beschwerden? — What are your symptoms / What brings you in today?
This is almost certainly how your doctor will open the appointment. Everything below is preparation for answering it.
Location
Pair any pain word with one of these:
im Bauch / im Unterleib — in the abdomen / lower abdomen
im Rücken / im unteren Rücken — in the back / lower back
in der Brust — in the chest
im Hals / in der Kehle — in the throat / neck (inside)
im Nacken — in the neck (outside / nape)
im Kopf — in the head
im Ohr — in the ear
im Knie / in der Schulter / im Ellbogen / im Handgelenk — in the knee / shoulder / elbow / wrist
auf der rechten Seite / auf der linken Seite — on the right side / on the left side
im rechten Oberbauch / im linken Unterbauch — in the upper right abdomen / lower left abdomen
hier — here [point to the location]
Es strahlt aus nach... — It radiates to...
Character of the Pain
Schmerzen — pain (general)
stechend — stabbing, sharp
dumpf — dull, throbbing
brennend — burning
drückend — pressing, squeezing
ziehend — pulling, dragging
pulsierend — pulsating
krampfartig — cramping
intermittierend — intermittent
anhaltend — persistent, constant
unerträglich — unbearable
leicht / mittelstark / stark — mild / moderate / severe
Timing
Seit gestern / seit vorgestern — since yesterday / since the day before yesterday
Seit [Zahl] Tagen / Wochen — for [number] days / weeks
Es fing an am... — It started on...
Plötzlich — suddenly
Allmählich — gradually
Es wird schlimmer — it's getting worse
Es wird besser — it's getting better
Es bleibt gleich — it's staying the same
Es kommt und geht — it comes and goes
Besonders schlimm morgens / nachts — particularly bad in the mornings / at night
Making It Worse or Better
Es ist schlimmer, wenn ich... — it is worse when I...
- ...mich bewege / gehe / stehe — move / walk / stand
- ...tief einatme — breathe in deeply
- ...esse — eat
- ...den Arm hebe — raise my arm
Es ist besser, wenn ich... — it is better when I...
- ...mich hinlege — lie down
- ...mich nicht bewege — stay still
- ...nach vorne beuge — lean forward
- ...esse — eat
Common Symptoms Beyond Pain
Fieber — fever. "Ich habe Fieber" or "Ich bin fiebrig." If you know the temperature: "Ich hatte [38,5] Grad."
Schüttelfrost — chills, shivering
Übelkeit — nausea. "Mir ist übel."
Erbrechen — vomiting. "Ich habe mich übergeben."
Durchfall — diarrhoea
Verstopfung — constipation
Schwindel — dizziness. "Mir ist schwindelig."
Ohnmachtsanfall — fainting episode
Kurzatmigkeit / Atemnot — shortness of breath
Herzklopfen / Herzrasen — palpitations / racing heart
Taubheitsgefühl — numbness
Kribbeln — tingling / pins and needles
Ausschlag / Hautausschlag — rash
Juckreiz — itching
Schwellung — swelling
Schwäche / Erschöpfung — weakness / exhaustion
Schlaflosigkeit — insomnia
Gewichtsverlust — weight loss
Blut im Urin / im Stuhl — blood in urine / in stool
The Sentences That Matter Most
"Der Schmerz begann vor [X] Tagen und wird schlimmer." — The pain started [X] days ago and is getting worse.
"Es ist ein stechender Schmerz auf der rechten Seite, der bis in den Rücken ausstrahlt." — It's a stabbing pain on the right side that radiates to my back.
"Ich habe kein Fieber, aber ich fühle mich sehr schwach." — I don't have a fever, but I feel very weak.
"Ich habe heute Morgen einmal erbrochen." — I vomited once this morning.
"Ich nehme regelmäßig [Medikament] für [Erkrankung]." — I regularly take [medication] for [condition].
"Ich bin allergisch gegen Penicillin / Latex / [Stoff]." — I am allergic to penicillin / latex / [substance].
"Ich bin in der [X]. Schwangerschaftswoche." — I am in week [X] of pregnancy.
"Können Sie das bitte aufschreiben?" — Can you please write that down?
A Note on German Medical Directness
German doctors are typically direct and precise. They ask specific questions and expect specific answers. Vague descriptions ("I just feel off" or "something doesn't feel right") will prompt follow-up questions until the symptoms are pinned down. The more specific you can be with the vocabulary above, the faster and more productive the appointment will be.
Your German vocabulary for daily life is built from the situations you encounter repeatedly. This vocabulary is different — you may only need it a few times a year. But those are the times you need it most. Build the medical vocabulary before the appointment, not during it.
Medical German is a specific vocabulary set — and Vokabulo is built exactly for this. Describe your situation to the app, and it builds the words you need for the next conversation. Available on iPhone and iPad.
