German At the Doctor Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of an actual visit to the doctor, from booking a Sprechstunde to what happens during the Untersuchung and what the Arzt tells you afterward: the Diagnose. One trap for English speakers: Praxis means doctor's office or practice, not "practice" as in rehearsal, and Doktor is not simply interchangeable with Arzt the way you might expect from English "doctor."
Learn these 23 words
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All 23 words
plural: die Ärzte
doctor
Morgen habe ich einen Termin bei meiner Ärztin. — Tomorrow I have an appointment with my doctor.
plural: die Doktoren
doctor
Meine Tochter ist krank. Wir gehen zum Doktor. — My daughter is sick. We're going to the doctor.
plural: die Praxen
practice, office
Die Praxis ist ab acht Uhr geöffnet. — The practice is open from eight o'clock.
plural: die Sprechstunden
consultation hour
Frau Doktor Weiß hat von 9:00 bis 12:30 Uhr Sprechstunde. — Dr. Weiß has consultation hours from 9:00 to 12:30.
examine, investigate
Der Arzt hat mich untersucht. — The doctor examined me.
treat, handle
Welcher Arzt hat Sie bis jetzt behandelt? — Which doctor has treated you so far?
plural: die e-cards
electronic health card
Haben Sie Ihre e-card dabei? — Do you have your electronic health card with you?
plural: die Ordinationen
doctor's office
Die Ordination bleibt bis zum 7. Jänner geschlossen. — The doctor's office remains closed until January 7th.
plural: die Patienten
patient
Ich bin Patientin bei Dr. Hausner. Ich möchte bitte einen Termin. — I am a patient of Dr. Hausner. I would like an appointment, please.
plural: die Patientinnen
female patient
Die Patientin hat ihre Ergebnisse bekommen. — The female patient received her results.
plural: die Untersuchungen
examination, investigation
Ich habe morgen eine Untersuchung im Krankenhaus. — I have an examination at the hospital tomorrow.
plural: die Ärzte
doctor
Der Arzt untersuchte den Patienten gründlich. — The doctor examined the patient thoroughly.
plural: die Diagnosen
diagnosis
Der Arzt stellt die Diagnose fest. — The doctor determines the diagnosis.
to diagnose
Der Arzt diagnostiziert eine Grippe. — The doctor diagnoses the flu.
plural: die Anamnesen
patient history/medical background
Der Arzt nahm eine Anamnese auf. — The doctor took down the patient history.
plural: die Differentialdiagnosen
differential diagnosis
Der Arzt nutzt die Differentialdiagnose zur Diagnose. — The doctor uses differential diagnosis to diagnose.
plural: die Etiopathogenesen
etiopathogenesis
Die Etiopathogenese erklärt Ursache und Entwicklung der Krankheit. — Etiopathogenesis explains the cause and development of the disease.
plural: die Früherkennungen
early detection
Die Früherkennung von Krebs kann Leben retten. — Early detection of cancer can save lives.
histology/tissue study
Die Histologie untersucht Gewebe unter dem Mikroskop. — Histology examines tissue under the microscope.
plural: die Indikationen
indication/medical reason
Die Indikation für eine Operation war eindeutig. — The medical indication for surgery was clear.
plural: die Kasuistiken
case report / case study
Die Kasuistik dokumentiert interessante Einzelfälle. — The case report documents interesting individual cases.
plural: die Kontraindikationen
contraindication
Die Kontraindikation verhindert die Verabreichung des Medikaments. — The contraindication prevents administration of the medication.
plural: die Quacksalber
a quack doctor
Ein Quacksalber gibt falsche medizinische Ratschläge. — A quack doctor gives false medical advice.
How to learn this set
Almost every abstract noun here ends in -e or -ion and is feminine: die Diagnose, die Anamnese, die Indikation, die Kontraindikation, die Untersuchung. Learn that pattern once and you can guess the gender of new medical terms on sight instead of memorizing each one separately. The verb pair matters too: diagnostizieren is what the doctor does, die Diagnose is the result, so drill them together in a sentence like "Der Arzt diagnostiziert eine Grippe" rather than as isolated flashcards. Kasuistik, Etiopathogenese, and Differentialdiagnose are C1 words you'll meet in medical German specifically, so don't worry about active recall on those unless you're reading clinical texts; focus your drilling time on Arzt, Praxis, Sprechstunde, and Patient/Patientin, which come up in any everyday appointment.
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Frequently asked questions
Arzt oder Doktor: was ist der Unterschied?
Der Arzt is the correct word for the profession; Doktor is the academic title (like Dr. med.) and what you say when addressing someone directly, e.g. Guten Tag, Herr Doktor. In everyday speech Germans often use Doktor loosely for both, but on forms and in writing, Arzt is the job title.
Was ist der Unterschied zwischen Praxis und Ordination?
Praxis is the standard German word for a doctor's office. Ordination is the Austrian term for the exact same thing, so which one you use depends on whether you're learning German German or Austrian German.
Ist Diagnose männlich oder weiblich?
Diagnose is feminine: die Diagnose. Most of the abstract medical nouns in this set follow the same pattern, including die Anamnese, die Indikation, and die Kontraindikation.
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