Today's words · 💊 Pharmacy
Your German pharmacy survival kit: 10 words
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Before you walk under that red A sign, pack these words.
You pop in for some painkillers and the pharmacist asks, „Nehmen Sie noch andere Medikamente?“ Your mind goes blank, and you just nod and hope for the best.
Today's ten words are the ones you'll hear at every Apotheke. With them you can ask if you need a prescription, understand how often to take something, and ask about side effects. 💊
📋 The ten words at a glance
- die Apotheke — pharmacy, chemist's
- das Medikament — medicine, medication
- die Tablette — tablet, pill
- das Rezept — prescription; recipe
- rezeptfrei — available without prescription, over-the-counter
- einnehmen — to take (medicine)
- die Nebenwirkung — side effect
- die Packungsbeilage — package insert, patient leaflet
- der Hustensaft — cough syrup, cough mixture
- die Salbe — ointment
🧠 Words, examples and memory tricks
die Apotheke
[ah-po-TAY-kuh]pharmacy, chemist's(Pl. die Apotheken)
📌 Die Apotheke hat bis 20 Uhr geöffnet.
→ The pharmacy is open until 8 pm.
💡 A cousin of English apothecary 🏥 Look for the big red A sign.
⚠ A Drogerie (like dm or Rossmann) sells shampoo and vitamins, but it isn't a pharmacy.
das Medikament
[meh-dee-kah-MENT]medicine, medication(Pl. die Medikamente)
📌 Nehmen Sie noch andere Medikamente?
→ Are you taking any other medication?
💡 Looks like medicine, means medicine 💊 Easy win.
Bonus Plural die Medikamente · painkiller = das Schmerzmittel
die Tablette
[tab-LET-uh]tablet, pill(Pl. die Tabletten)
📌 Nehmen Sie dreimal täglich eine Tablette.
→ Take one tablet three times a day.
💡 A tablet you swallow, with an -e on the end 💊 The -e makes it edible!
⚠ A tablet computer is das Tablet.
das Rezept
[reh-TSEPT]prescription; recipe(Pl. die Rezepte)
📌 Für dieses Medikament brauchen Sie ein Rezept vom Arzt.
→ You need a doctor's prescription for this medication.
💡 Same root as recipe 📝 Both are a note saying ‘do this’.
⚠ False friend: a receipt is der Kassenbon or die Quittung.
rezeptfrei
[reh-TSEPT-fry]available without prescription, over-the-counter📌 Dieses Medikament ist rezeptfrei.
→ This medicine is available without a prescription.
💡 Rezept + frei (free of) = no prescription needed 🆓 The happiest word at the counter.
Bonus Opposite: verschreibungspflichtig = prescription-only
einnehmen
[INE-nay-men]to take (medicine)(nimmt ein – hat eingenommen)
📌 Nehmen Sie die Tabletten dreimal täglich nach dem Essen ein.
→ Take the tablets three times a day after meals.
💡 ein (in) + nehmen (take) = take it in 👄 You don't ‘eat’ medicine in German.
⚠ Separable: Nehmen Sie die Tablette nach dem Essen ein.
die Nebenwirkung
[NAY-ben-veer-koong]side effect(Pl. die Nebenwirkungen)
📌 Hat das Medikament Nebenwirkungen?
→ Does the medicine have side effects?
💡 neben (beside) + Wirkung (effect) = an effect off to the side 😵 -ung, so die.
Bonus It works well = Das Medikament wirkt gut.
die Packungsbeilage
[PACK-oongs-by-lah-guh]package insert, patient leaflet(Pl. die Packungsbeilagen)
📌 Lesen Sie vor der Einnahme die Packungsbeilage.
→ Read the package insert before taking the medicine.
💡 Packung (box) + Beilage (side dish) = the paper served with the box 📄
der Hustensaft
[HOOS-ten-zaft]cough syrup, cough mixture(Pl. die Hustensäfte)
📌 Gegen den Husten empfehle ich Ihnen diesen Hustensaft.
→ For your cough I recommend this cough syrup.
💡 Husten (cough) + Saft (juice) = cough juice 🍯 Sounds nicer than it tastes.
⚠ Plural with umlaut: die Hustensäfte
die Salbe
[ZAL-buh]ointment(Pl. die Salben)
📌 Tragen Sie die Salbe zweimal am Tag auf.
→ Apply the ointment twice a day.
💡 Same root as English salve 🧴 Rub it in, twice a day.
Bonus to apply ointment = die Salbe auftragen
🇩🇪 A spoonful of German culture
German pharmacies are easy to spot thanks to the red A sign outside. Even simple medicines like ibuprofen are usually sold only there, so you won't find them in supermarkets or drugstores.
Need something at night or on a Sunday? Look for the emergency pharmacy (Notdienst-Apotheke). Local pharmacies take turns, and the one on duty is often posted on the door of every pharmacy nearby.
German pharmacists also tend to give proper advice. Describe your symptoms and they'll suggest something rezeptfrei, so the pharmacy is a good first stop when you're not sure you need a doctor. 🏥
✅ Quick quiz
Q. You want cough syrup without seeing a doctor. What do you ask?
- ① Ich brauche ein Rezept für die Salbe.
- ② Ist dieser Hustensaft rezeptfrei?
- ③ Die Apotheke hat bis 20 Uhr geöffnet.
Show the answer
② Ist dieser Hustensaft rezeptfrei?
rezeptfrei means you can buy it without a prescription — exactly what you want to know.
Say „Ist das rezeptfrei?“ and „Hat das Nebenwirkungen?“ out loud three times each today. Your next pharmacy visit will feel much easier! 🍀
🔜 Tomorrow's topic: 🦷 Dentist & eye doctor