German · B2 (Upper Intermediate)
Medical in German: Words & Phrases
Quick answer: The most useful German words for medical are die Privatversicherung (private health insurance), gesetzlich versichert (covered by statutory insurance) and der Selbstbehalt (the deductible / excess). The full German medical phrase list with example sentences is below.
The essential German vocabulary for medical, with example sentences and English translations. This is B2 (Upper Intermediate) material — exactly the kind of practical language you need when you're learning German to live, work, or settle abroad.
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Key medical vocabulary
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die Privatversicherung | private health insurance |
| gesetzlich versichert | covered by statutory insurance |
| der Selbstbehalt | the deductible / excess |
| die Zuzahlung | the patient copayment |
| chronisch | chronic |
| die Vorsorgeuntersuchung | the preventive check-up |
| der Befund | the medical findings / test results |
| die Krankenhauseinweisung | the hospital admission |
| der Beipackzettel | the medication package insert |
| die Wartezeit | the waiting period / time |
Example sentences
Als Selbstständiger bin ich in der Privatversicherung.
As a self-employed person I am in private insurance.
Die meisten Angestellten sind gesetzlich versichert.
Most employees are covered by statutory insurance.
Der Arzt erklärt mir den Befund.
The doctor explains the findings to me.
Ich leide an einer chronischen Erkrankung.
I suffer from a chronic condition.
Ich gehe jährlich zur Vorsorgeuntersuchung.
I go for an annual preventive check-up.
Der Arzt hat eine Krankenhauseinweisung ausgestellt.
The doctor issued a hospital admission.
How to actually learn these
Reading a vocabulary list is not the same as being able to use the words when it counts. Research on adult language acquisition consistently shows that vocabulary retained through contextual use — hearing a word, producing it under mild pressure, and being corrected when you get it wrong — transfers to real speech far more effectively than passive list review. The fastest way to make vocabulary like this stick is to practise it in the actual conversations where it comes up: not drills, but a real back-and-forth where you have to retrieve the word and say it aloud. Language Lab turns vocabulary like this into voiced, real-life scenarios with Sonia, a live AI language tutor who holds real conversations, corrects you in context, and remembers the specific words you keep getting wrong across sessions. The vocabulary stops being something you read and becomes something you say — automatically, under pressure, when you actually need it.
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