German Patient Dialogues: Everyday Phrases for the Clinic
You notice it on your very first day of ward rounds: your medical knowledge is fine, but if you don't know how to talk to the patient, you freeze up. This is the heart of both the FSP and real clinical work — the Arzt-Patient-Gespräch, the doctor-patient conversation. The good news: this conversation is largely made up of set phrases. Greeting, opening the complaint, guiding the examination, giving instructions, saying goodbye… each has its ready-made lines. Below I've gathered the situations that come up most often in the clinic, with dialogue tables you can use directly. Don't just memorise — repeat out loud until it becomes a reflex on your tongue.
1. Greeting and building trust (Begrüßung)
The first 20 seconds set the tone for the whole conversation. Introduce yourself, approach the patient with respect, and say what you're going to do.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| "Guten Tag, mein Name ist Dr. … Ich bin heute Ihr Arzt / Ihre Ärztin." | Good day, my name is Dr. … I'm your doctor today. |
| "Schön, dass Sie da sind. Bitte nehmen Sie Platz." | Good that you're here. Please have a seat. |
| "Bevor wir anfangen — wie heißen Sie und wann sind Sie geboren?" | Before we begin — what's your name and when were you born? |
| "Ich würde Ihnen gern ein paar Fragen stellen. Ist das in Ordnung für Sie?" | I'd like to ask you a few questions. Is that all right with you? |
| "Alles, was wir besprechen, bleibt selbstverständlich vertraulich." | Everything we discuss stays confidential, of course. |
2. Opening the complaint (start of the Anamnese)
Start open-ended; let the patient tell it in their own words. Then pin down the timing and the course.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| "Was führt Sie zu uns?" | What brings you to us? |
| "Was kann ich für Sie tun?" | What can I do for you? |
| "Seit wann haben Sie diese Beschwerden?" | How long have you had these symptoms? |
| "Erzählen Sie mir bitte in Ruhe, was passiert ist." | Please tell me calmly what happened. |
| "Ist das plötzlich aufgetreten oder hat es sich langsam entwickelt?" | Did it come on suddenly, or did it develop slowly? |
| "Haben Sie das zum ersten Mal oder hatten Sie das schon einmal?" | Is this the first time, or have you had it before? |
3. Pain assessment (OPQRST phrases)
If there's pain, don't skip a single axis. OPQRST — onset, provoking/relieving, character, radiation, severity, timing — should be a reflex.
| Axis | German phrase · English |
|---|---|
| O — Onset | "Wann genau haben die Schmerzen angefangen?" — When exactly did the pain start? |
| P — Provoking/relieving | "Gibt es etwas, das die Schmerzen verstärkt oder lindert?" — Is there anything that makes the pain worse or eases it? |
| Q — Character | "Wie fühlen sich die Schmerzen an — stechend, drückend oder brennend?" — What does the pain feel like — stabbing, pressing or burning? |
| R — Radiation | "Strahlen die Schmerzen irgendwohin aus, zum Beispiel in den Arm?" — Does the pain radiate anywhere, for example into the arm? |
| S — Severity | "Auf einer Skala von 1 bis 10 — wie stark sind die Schmerzen?" — On a scale of 1 to 10, how severe is the pain? |
| T — Timing/course | "Sind die Schmerzen dauerhaft oder kommen sie in Wellen?" — Is the pain constant, or does it come in waves? |
4. Guiding the examination (körperliche Untersuchung)
As you move to the examination, announce each step beforehand and ask permission. This is both courteous and what's expected in the FSP.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| "Ich würde Sie jetzt gern untersuchen. Sind Sie damit einverstanden?" | I'd like to examine you now. Is that all right with you? |
| "Bitte machen Sie den Oberkörper frei." | Please undress your upper body (take off your shirt). |
| "Atmen Sie bitte tief ein … und wieder aus." | Please breathe in deeply … and out again. |
| "Sagen Sie mir bitte Bescheid, wenn es wehtut." | Please let me know if it hurts. |
| "Ich drücke jetzt auf Ihren Bauch — tut das hier weh?" | I'm pressing on your abdomen now — does it hurt here? |
| "Bitte legen Sie sich auf den Rücken / drehen Sie sich auf die Seite." | Please lie on your back / turn onto your side. |
| "Danke, Sie können sich wieder anziehen." | Thank you, you can get dressed again. |
5. Breaking bad news, delivering it gently + empathy
Start the difficult news with a warning shot, then say it clearly but gently, and afterwards go quiet and listen. Here, the empathy lines are the heart of your score and of the patient's trust.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| "Leider habe ich keine guten Nachrichten für Sie." | Unfortunately, I don't have good news for you. |
| "Ich muss Ihnen leider etwas Ernstes mitteilen. Möchten Sie, dass jemand dabei ist?" | I'm afraid I have to tell you something serious. Would you like someone to be with you? |
| "Das tut mir sehr leid. Ich kann verstehen, dass das ein Schock für Sie ist." | I'm very sorry. I can understand that this is a shock for you. |
| "Nehmen Sie sich ruhig einen Moment. Wir haben Zeit." | Take a moment, by all means. We have time. |
| "Wir werden Sie auf diesem Weg nicht allein lassen." | We won't leave you alone on this path. |
| "Haben Sie im Moment eine Frage, die ich Ihnen beantworten kann?" | Do you have a question right now that I can answer for you? |
6. Giving instructions (treatment / medication)
Give the instruction simple, numerical and clear. Then, instead of "do you understand?", ask for a teach-back — having the patient repeat it in their own words is the safest method.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| "Sie sollten diese Tablette zweimal täglich einnehmen — morgens und abends." | You should take this tablet twice a day — morning and evening. |
| "Nehmen Sie das Medikament bitte zu den Mahlzeiten ein." | Please take the medication with meals. |
| "Es ist wichtig, dass Sie viel trinken und sich schonen." | It's important that you drink plenty of fluids and take it easy. |
| "Wenn die Beschwerden schlimmer werden, kommen Sie bitte sofort wieder." | If the symptoms get worse, please come back immediately. |
| "Können Sie mir kurz wiederholen, wie Sie das Medikament einnehmen?" | Can you briefly repeat back to me how you'll take the medication? |
7. Saying goodbye and the next step
Before you close the conversation, summarise, leave the door open for questions, and make the next step clear. Don't leave it vague.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| "Haben Sie noch Fragen oder möchten Sie etwas ergänzen?" | Do you have any more questions, or is there something you'd like to add? |
| "Wir sehen uns morgen bei der Visite." | We'll see each other tomorrow on the ward round (Visite). |
| "Eine Kollegin / ein Kollege wird Sie später noch einmal sehen." | A colleague will see you again later. |
| "Melden Sie sich gern bei der Pflege, wenn Sie etwas brauchen." | Feel free to let the nursing staff know if you need anything. |
| "Gute Besserung und alles Gute für Sie!" | Get well soon, and all the best to you! |
8. Lay language ↔ technical term warning (don't use jargon with patients)
The most common mistake in the FSP and in the clinic: talking to the patient in medical jargon ("Fachchinesisch"). You speak to the patient in everyday language (Laiensprache) and to your colleagues in technical terms. Memorise these pairs — using the wrong side costs you points and trust.
| Say to the patient (everyday) | Say to colleagues (technical) |
|---|---|
| Herzinfarkt | Myokardinfarkt |
| Bluthochdruck | (arterielle) Hypertonie |
| Zuckerkrankheit | Diabetes mellitus |
| Schlaganfall | Apoplex / Insult |
| Atemnot / Luftnot | Dyspnoe |
| Brustschmerzen | Thoraxschmerzen |
| Bauchweh | Abdominalschmerzen |
| Schwindel | Vertigo |
| Übelkeit / Erbrechen | Nausea / Emesis |
| Durchfall | Diarrhoe |
Practical rule: if you slip a term to the patient, correct it right away: "… also, was wir Mediziner Dyspnoe nennen — einfach gesagt: Atemnot." This little bridging sentence shows both that you know your stuff and that you're not shutting the patient out. The examiner loves it.
Turn these dialogues into spoken, live practice
Dialog Trainer: with situation-based scenarios, drill greeting, examination-guiding and goodbye lines over and over.
Hold a real dialogue with an AI patient
The AI patient answers you in German, scores the sentences you ask, and shows the axis you missed — a real interview rehearsal.
⚠️ The phrases here are for learning purposes; clinical decisions, dosing and patient management are always subject to current guidelines and the assessment of the responsible physician.