German At the Hospital Vocabulary
This set covers the vocabulary of a hospital stay, from das Krankenhaus itself down to specific procedures like die Darmspiegelung (colonoscopy) and die Infusion. One trap: der Kranke doesn't mean "the sick" as an abstract idea, it's a noun for an actual sick person, and it declines like an adjective (der Kranke, ein Kranker, die Kranken), which trips up learners expecting a normal noun pattern.
Learn these 15 words
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All 15 words
plural: die Krankenhäuser
hospital
Meine Tante ist im Krankenhaus. — My aunt is in the hospital.
plural: die Notaufnahmen
emergency room
Sie wurde sofort in die Notaufnahme gebracht. — She was immediately taken to the emergency room.
surgery (department)
Er arbeitet als Arzt in der Chirurgie. — He works as a doctor in surgery.
plural: die Kliniken
clinic
Ich muss in die Klinik, um meinen kranken Onkel zu besuchen. — I have to go to the clinic to visit my sick uncle.
plural: die Kranken
sick person
Kranke brauchen viel Ruhe. — Sick people need plenty of rest.
plural: die Operationen
surgery
Seit der Operation kann ich mein Knie nicht mehr bewegen. — Since the surgery I can no longer move my knee.
bedridden
Der Patient ist bettlägerig und braucht Hilfe. — The patient is bedridden and needs help.
plural: die Intensivstationen
the intensive care unit
Der Patient liegt auf der Intensivstation. — The patient is in the intensive care unit.
plural: die Radiologen
radiologist
Der Radiologe untersuchte das Röntgenbild. — The radiologist examined the X-ray.
plural: die Uniklinika
university hospital
Das Uniklinikum behandelt schwere Fälle. — The university hospital treats severe cases.
patient adherence/compliance
Die Compliance des Patienten ist wichtig. — Patient adherence is important.
plural: die Darmspiegelungen
a colonoscopy
Die Darmspiegelung wird zum Screening verwendet. — Colonoscopy is used for screening.
- gipsenC1
to plaster / cast
Der Arzt musste das Bein gipsen. — The doctor had to cast the leg.
plural: die Infusionen
infusion/intravenous treatment
Der Patient erhielt eine Infusion zur Rehydrierung. — The patient received an infusion for rehydration.
plural: die Lazarette
a sickbay / hospital
Der verletzte Soldat wurde ins Lazarett gebracht. — The wounded soldier was brought to the sickbay.
How to learn this set
Sort the nouns by gender before you drill: die Notaufnahme, die Chirurgie, die Klinik, die Intensivstation, die Operation, die Infusion and die Compliance are all feminine, so if you can lock in "die" for this whole medical cluster you've covered most of the list in one move. The masculine outliers, der Kranke and der Radiologe, are both people-nouns, which is a useful second pattern: person-words in this set skew der, place- and procedure-words skew die. For the two verbs, gipsen and the idea behind bettlägerig, picture the actual scene (a cast going on, someone stuck in bed) rather than translating word for word, since English doesn't have a single-word equivalent for either.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Krankenhaus masculine or neuter?
Neuter: das Krankenhaus. It's a compound of krank (sick) and das Haus (house), and it keeps the gender of Haus, which is the pattern for most Kranken- compounds like die Krankenschwester or der Krankenwagen (those follow the second noun's gender, not Haus's, so check each one).
What is the difference between Klinik and Krankenhaus?
Krankenhaus is the general word for hospital. Klinik often points to a specialized facility (a private clinic, a rehab clinic) or is used loosely as a synonym for hospital in speech, and Uniklinikum specifically means a university hospital attached to medical research and teaching.
Does Compliance mean the same thing in German medical German as in English?
Yes, it's a direct borrowing used in German medical contexts to mean patient adherence, whether a patient follows the prescribed treatment. It's pronounced the English way and you'll hear it used exactly like this in doctor's offices and hospital charts.
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