In Germany you do not go to a hospital for a sore throat; you go to a Hausarzt, the family doctor, who decides whether anyone else needs to see you. That gatekeeping is the first thing to understand.
Illness is handled with paper: a Krankmeldung for the employer, a Rezept for the pharmacy and an Ueberweisung for the specialist. Each has its own word, and each carries its own deadline.
The Words of Health
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| der Arzt | the doctor |
| die Hausaerztin | the family doctor |
| der Facharzt | the specialist |
| die Praxis | the practice |
| der Termin | the appointment |
| die Sprechstunde | the consultation hour |
| die Ueberweisung | the referral |
| der Patient | the patient |
The Hausarzt is your first call for almost everything and also the person who refers you onward, so choose a practice near home and register early rather than waiting until you are ill.
Making an Appointment
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| die Terminvergabe | the appointment service |
| die Akutsprechstunde | the urgent consultation hour |
| die Vertretung | the locum |
| der Bereitschaftsdienst | the out-of-hours service |
| die Notaufnahme | the emergency department |
| der Notruf | the emergency call |
| die Wartezeit | the waiting time |
| die Praxisassistenz | the practice assistant |
Routine appointments are booked weeks ahead, but almost every practice keeps a slot for acute cases in the morning. Outside opening hours the number 116117 reaches the medical on-call service, while 112 is for emergencies only.
At the Practice
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| die Versichertenkarte | the insurance card |
| die Anmeldung | the registration at the desk |
| das Wartezimmer | the waiting room |
| die Beschwerden | the symptoms |
| die Untersuchung | the examination |
| die Diagnose | the diagnosis |
| die Krankschreibung | the sick note |
| das Rezept | the prescription |
Bring your electronic health card to every visit, and describe your symptoms with the phrase Ich habe Schmerzen in, followed by the part of the body. Ask for an Ueberweisung if you need to see a specialist.
The Sick Note
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| die Arbeitsunfaehigkeitsbescheinigung | the certificate of incapacity for work |
| die Krankmeldung | the reporting of sickness |
| der Arbeitgeber | the employer |
| die Krankenkasse | the health insurance fund |
| die Dauer | the duration |
| die Fortsetzung | the continuation |
| die Ausfertigung | the copy |
| die Frist | the deadline |
Since 2023 the doctor sends the certificate to the insurer electronically, but you must still tell your employer on the first day of absence that you are ill and how long you expect to be away.
Health Insurance and What It Covers
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| die Krankenversicherung | the health insurance |
| die gesetzliche Kasse | the statutory fund |
| die private Versicherung | the private insurance |
| der Beitrag | the contribution |
| die Leistung | the benefit |
| die Zuzahlung | the co-payment |
| die Familienversicherung | the family insurance |
| der Leistungskatalog | the list of covered benefits |
Statutory insurance is tied to your job and costs a fixed percentage of your wage, shared with the employer. Prescriptions carry a small co-payment, and children are insured free through a parent.
Pharmacy and Medicine
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| die Apotheke | the pharmacy |
| das Medikament | the medicine |
| die Packung | the pack |
| die Dosierung | the dosage |
| die Nebenwirkung | the side effect |
| das Schmerzmittel | the painkiller |
| die Salbe | the ointment |
| die Tablette | the tablet |
A green prescription is a recommendation you pay for yourself, while a pink or blue one is covered by the insurer. Ask the pharmacist for the generic name, which is often far cheaper than the branded box.
Emergencies and Hospitals
| German term | English meaning |
|---|---|
| der Notfall | the emergency |
| der Krankenwagen | the ambulance |
| die Notaufnahme | the emergency department |
| die Einweisung | the admission |
| die Station | the ward |
| die Operation | the operation |
| die Entlassung | the discharge |
| die Nachsorge | the follow-up care |
For a real emergency call 112, and for anything urgent but not life-threatening call 116117 first. A hospital admission usually needs an Einweisung from a doctor, except when you arrive by ambulance.
Phrases at the Doctor
| German phrase | What it means |
|---|---|
| Ich habe einen Termin um zehn Uhr. | I have an appointment at ten. |
| Mir ist schlecht. | I feel unwell. |
| Ich habe Schmerzen hier. | I have pain here. |
| Ich brauche eine Ueberweisung. | I need a referral. |
| Ich bin seit gestern krank. | I have been ill since yesterday. |
| Ich nehme keine Medikamente. | I take no medication. |
| Wann kann ich wieder arbeiten? | When can I work again? |
| Vielen Dank, das hilft mir. | Thank you, that helps me. |
A doctor cannot treat what has not been described, and in German the description is short and concrete. Rehearse these lines once and the consultation becomes a normal conversation.
Choosing and Using Your Insurance
If you earn above the threshold for compulsory statutory cover you may be able to choose private insurance instead, and that decision follows you for years, so take advice before you sign anything.
Statutory funds differ little in what they must cover by law, but they differ greatly in their extra services, such as travel vaccinations, dental care and courses on prevention, and you are free to switch fund after twelve months of membership.
You must tell the fund when your income changes, because the contribution is calculated from your wage, and a wrong figure produces either a demand or a refund at the end of the year.
If you are unemployed or studying, the state pays the contribution, but registering with the fund is still your own task and must be done immediately.
Keep the insurance card, the sick notes and the letters in a single file, because the employer, the fund and the pension office all ask for the same documents at different moments.
A family policy covers a spouse and children without an extra contribution if their own income stays below the official limit, which is worth checking the moment one partner stops working.
Foreign students, posted workers and seasonal staff have their own rules, and the fund will explain which of them applies to you. If you want to describe a symptom clearly on the first phone call, learn German with a course that follows the doctor's practice from start to finish.
The bars show the order of the stages; each value is a sequence number rather than a duration.
Health and Language in Germany
Good health care is useless if you cannot explain what is wrong, and that is the real barrier for most newcomers, not the insurance card.
The words in this guide cover the whole journey from the first symptom to the last follow-up. If you want to learn German for everyday life, the language of the doctor's practice is the most valuable vocabulary of all.
German health care starts with the family doctor and continues in writing. Learn German with the words of appointments, prescriptions and insurance.
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