I can name parts of the body and say in two ways what hurts, make a doctor's appointment, buy medicine at a pharmacy, offer help with Soll ich …? and understand a doctor's advice with Sie sollten …
Beim Arzt und in der Apotheke
What hurts and what to do
The doctor will ask what hurts and give advice.
Two ways to say what hurts. Mein Kopf tut weh — the body part is the subject (“My head hurts”). Ich habe Kopfschmerzen — the same in one word (“I have a headache”), but plural, with no article.
The compound word. der Kopf + die Schmerzen = die Kopfschmerzen. Other body parts join -schmerzen the same way. Gender and number come from the last part (always the plural die Schmerzen); stress falls on the first: KÓPFschmerzen.
The doctor's question. You say Was tut weh? A doctor often says Was tut Ihnen weh? — just recognize Ihnen for now.
At the doctor's: Ich bin krank. Ich habe Fieber — no article, unlike English “a fever”. Ich brauche einen Termin beim Arzt. At the pharmacy: das Medikament and die Tablette.
Two set forms. Soll ich …? (“Shall I …?”) offers help or asks for advice. Sie sollten … (“You should …”) is polite advice. The main verb goes to the end, as with können and müssen.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Ich bin Kopfschmerzen” — correct: Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
• NOT “Ich habe weh am Kopf” — correct: Mein Kopf tut weh.
• NOT “Sie sollten nach Hause geht” — correct: Sie sollten nach Hause gehen.
• NOT “Ich soll Wasser kaufen?” — correct: Soll ich Wasser kaufen?
Sounds: ch in Bauch — the back ch [x], as in “Bach”; ch in ich — the front ch [ç], like the h of “huge”; ß in Fuß — a sharp [s].
Parts of the body
German, like English, has separate words for arm and hand, leg and foot.
| One | Many | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| der Kopf | die Köpfe | head |
| der Hals | die Hälse | neck; throat |
| der Bauch | die Bäuche | stomach |
| der Rücken | die Rücken | back (of the body) |
| der Arm | die Arme | arm |
| die Hand | die Hände | hand |
| das Bein | die Beine | leg |
| der Fuß | die Füße | foot |
What to say at the doctor's
The first two rows say the same thing.
| What for | How to say it |
|---|---|
| the body part as the subject | Mein Kopf tut weh. |
| the same, as one word | Ich habe Kopfschmerzen. |
| the doctor's advice | Sie sollten viel Wasser trinken. |
| offer help | Soll ich deine Tabletten kaufen? |
Lesson notes
What hurts and what to do
The doctor will ask what hurts and give advice.
Two ways to say what hurts. Mein Kopf tut weh — the body part is the subject (“My head hurts”). Ich habe Kopfschmerzen — the same in one word (“I have a headache”), but plural, with no article.
The compound word. der Kopf + die Schmerzen = die Kopfschmerzen. Other body parts join -schmerzen the same way. Gender and number come from the last part (always the plural die Schmerzen); stress falls on the first: KÓPFschmerzen.
The doctor's question. You say Was tut weh? A doctor often says Was tut Ihnen weh? — just recognize Ihnen for now.
At the doctor's: Ich bin krank. Ich habe Fieber — no article, unlike English “a fever”. Ich brauche einen Termin beim Arzt. At the pharmacy: das Medikament and die Tablette.
Two set forms. Soll ich …? (“Shall I …?”) offers help or asks for advice. Sie sollten … (“You should …”) is polite advice. The main verb goes to the end, as with können and müssen.
Common mistakes:
• NOT “Ich bin Kopfschmerzen” — correct: Ich habe Kopfschmerzen.
• NOT “Ich habe weh am Kopf” — correct: Mein Kopf tut weh.
• NOT “Sie sollten nach Hause geht” — correct: Sie sollten nach Hause gehen.
• NOT “Ich soll Wasser kaufen?” — correct: Soll ich Wasser kaufen?
Sounds: ch in Bauch — the back ch [x], as in “Bach”; ch in ich — the front ch [ç], like the h of “huge”; ß in Fuß — a sharp [s].