Polish at the doctor’s – how to describe symptoms and understand the doctor

Where you are going – names of places and people

Before you describe a problem, you need to know whom to book with. You will hear these words at reception and read them on consulting-room doors.

How to book an appointment

A few sentences are enough at reception. Say whom you want to book with and when you can come.

• Dzień dobry, chciałbym zapisać się do lekarza rodzinnego. / Chciałabym… – Good morning, I would like to book an appointment with a family doctor.
• Czy jest wolny termin na dzisiaj? – Is there a free slot for today?
• Mam skierowanie do dermatologa. – I have a referral to a dermatologist.
• Mogę przyjść po szesnastej. – I can come after four o’clock.
• Czy mogę prosić o teleporadę? – May I ask for a telephone consultation?
• Chciałbym odwołać wizytę na czwartek. – I would like to cancel my appointment for Thursday.

How to describe symptoms

You usually describe symptoms with one of three constructions. Each has different grammar, so it is worth learning them as whole sentences.

Add the time and the intensity to your description – the doctor will almost always ask about them:

• od rana, od wczoraj, od tygodnia, od trzech dni (since morning, since yesterday, for a week, for three days; after od – the genitive);
• trochę, bardzo, coraz bardziej, cały czas, czasami, głównie w nocy (a little, very, more and more, all the time, sometimes, mainly at night);
• Jestem uczulony na penicylinę. / Jestem uczulona na orzechy. (I am allergic to penicillin. / I am allergic to nuts.)
• Biorę leki na ciśnienie. / Nie biorę żadnych leków. (I take blood pressure medication. / I do not take any medication.)

What the doctor says – instructions and questions

The doctor speaks fast and uses polite forms. The sentences below are the ones you will hear most often in the consulting room.

Dialogue 1: in the family doctor’s consulting room

Note kaszlu nie mam – after a negation the noun goes into the genitive: mam kaszel, but nie mam kaszlu.

Dialogue 2: booking by phone

Mistakes that can mislead the doctor

The most common mistakes come from translating literally from your native language. The doctor will usually understand, but the correct form saves time and avoids misunderstandings.

Important: in a life-threatening emergency, call the emergency number. Prepare two sentences for such a call in advance: your address and one sentence about what happened.

After the appointment

After the appointment you usually go to a pharmacy – you will find the vocabulary of prescriptions and leaflets in our guide Polish at the pharmacy and in the shop. If you work in care or healthcare, take a look at the vocabulary for care and medicine. Conversations at the doctor’s are best practised live – the conversation club works well for this. Prefer to start individually? At a trial lesson the teacher will practise a doctor’s appointment with you.