Doctor's Appointment German: What to Say at the Arztpraxis (2026)

Nobody’s German fails quite like sick-person German. You are tired, worried, possibly feverish — and now the receptionist is asking rapid-fire questions about your insurance status while a queue forms behind you. The vocabulary you need (Überweisung, Krankschreibung, gesetzlich versichert) appears in no beginner textbook, and the stakes feel medical because they are.

The scenarios people rehearse in OGIMA tell the same story: “Sick today, no walk-ins at the doctor’s”, “Booking a GP appointment by phone”, “No small talk, just your symptoms” — patient German is one of the most-practised situation types in the app. This guide is the patient-side script. (Healthcare workers need a different one: that’s German for nursing.)

The phone call is the real boss fight

Getting the appointment is harder than having it. Phone German removes gestures, facial expressions, and the option to point at things, and adds a receptionist who does this two hundred times a day. Script these lines and say them aloud before you dial:

Guten Tag, mein Name ist … Ich hätte gern einen Termin. Ich bin gesetzlich versichert. / Ich bin privat versichert. Es geht um starke Rückenschmerzen. Waren Sie schon einmal bei uns? — Nein, ich bin neu.

That last question, whether you have been there before, catches almost everyone the first time. Practise hearing it, not just saying your part. If no slots exist and you are genuinely unwell: “Es ist dringend. Haben Sie heute offene Sprechstunde?” Walk-in hours exist at many practices, usually early morning, first come, longest wait.

Symptoms: precision beats politeness

German medical culture wants facts. The pattern that carries every symptom conversation:

seit wann + was + wie stark

Ich habe seit drei Tagen starke Halsschmerzen und Fieber, 38,5. Mir ist seit heute Morgen übel. Es tut hier weh — besonders, wenn ich mich bewege.

Build your own sentences for whatever brought you in, and say them out loud until they survive stress. The OGIMA scenario “Precise symptoms, not just ‘I feel bad’” exists because vague suffering gets vague care; the learners who rehearse specific symptom sentences report visits that simply work better.

Useful body-and-symptom vocabulary to have ready: die Schmerzen (pain — always plural), der Schwindel (dizziness), die Erkältung (cold), die Grippe (flu), der Ausschlag (rash), die Entzündung (inflammation), allergisch gegen ….

The paperwork layer

Three words run the German medical system, and the front desk assumes you know them:

• die Versichertenkarte: your insurance card, handed over at check-in, every time.
• die Überweisung: the referral letter a GP writes so you can see a specialist. Without one, many specialists will not book you (or your wait triples).
• die Krankschreibung / AU: the sick note. If you are employed in Germany and miss work sick, you need one, often from day one. The request is one rehearsable sentence: “Ich brauche eine Krankschreibung für meinen Arbeitgeber.”

And in the room, the phrases that keep you in control when the doctor shifts into medical German:

Was bedeutet das genau? Können Sie mir das bitte einfacher erklären? Muss ich mir Sorgen machen? Könnten Sie mir das bitte aufschreiben?

Never leave with a diagnosis you did not understand. Asking a German doctor to explain again is normal, expected, and rehearsable.

How to rehearse it

The visit is a chain of small scripts: booking call → check-in → symptoms → doctor’s questions → paperwork request. Each one takes minutes to rehearse out loud, and the checklist above orders them. For the run-through against something that answers back, OGIMA has these exact scenarios ready — from the booking call to the walk-in negotiation — and the general out-loud method is in how to practice speaking German. If what stops you from calling is dread rather than vocabulary, that is its own solvable problem: overcoming the fear of speaking.

One reassurance from the other side of the counter: medical staff deal with imperfect German all day. Prepared symptom sentences plus a Versichertenkarte make you an easy patient. The receptionist is not grading your grammar; she is trying to route you.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an app to practice doctor visit conversations in German?

Yes. OGIMA is built around rehearsing exactly these situations out loud — booking a slot by phone, describing symptoms precisely, or asking for a Krankschreibung — as spoken scenarios you can repeat until they feel routine. General AI chat tools can role-play a doctor visit too, though without the structured scenario setup.

How do I describe symptoms in German?

Use the pattern seit wann + was + wie stark: “Ich habe seit drei Tagen starke Kopfschmerzen.” Key verbs: wehtun (hurt), sich fühlen (feel), sich übergeben (vomit). German doctors expect precision over politeness, so lead with the facts, not apologies.

What is a Krankschreibung and how do I ask for one?

The Krankschreibung (officially Arbeitsunfähigkeitsbescheinigung, or AU) is the sick note German employers require, often from day one of illness. Ask directly: “Ich brauche eine Krankschreibung für meinen Arbeitgeber.” The practice handles the rest: most now send it digitally to your insurer.

Can I see a German doctor without an appointment?

Often yes, via the offene Sprechstunde (walk-in hours) many practices hold, usually early morning. Expect a wait. The phrase: “Haben Sie heute offene Sprechstunde?” For urgent issues outside hours, call 116 117 (the non-emergency medical line), also a conversation worth rehearsing.

Do German doctors speak English?

Many do, especially in cities, but reception staff often don’t, and the booking call is the first hurdle. Prepare the German for check-in and symptoms even if you plan to ask “Sprechen Sie Englisch?” once you’re in the room.

What German level do I need for a doctor’s appointment?

A2–B1 covers a routine visit if you have rehearsed the specific vocabulary: symptoms, insurance words, and clarification phrases. What matters more than level is having your symptom sentences ready out loud: a prepared A2 patient communicates better than an unprepared B2 one.

Sources

• The electronic sick note (eAU) process — German health ministry overview.
• Non-emergency medical line 116 117 — official patient service.