Practice a Swedish Doctor's Appointment
Visiting the doctor in Swedish is high-stakes and high-value: getting your symptoms across precisely matters, and the medical vocabulary is mostly Latin-based across European languages. This scenario rehearses a general practitioner's appointment from check-in to prescription: describing symptoms with body parts and intensity, mentioning allergies and existing conditions, understanding the doctor's explanation, and reading a prescription. You'll practise the formal register doctors use, plus the verbs for pain, duration, and frequency. By the end, you'll handle a routine Swedish-speaking appointment without needing a translator.
Sample Swedish conversation
Hej! Kom in och sätt dig. Vad kan jag hjälpa dig med idag?
Hello! Please come in and take a seat. What brings you in today?Jag har inte mått bra i några dagar.
I haven't been feeling well for a few days.Det var tråkigt att höra. Kan du beskriva dina symptom? Har du ont någonstans?
I'm sorry to hear that. Can you describe your symptoms? Do you have any pain?Jag har feber, ont i kroppen och känner mig utmattad.
I have a fever, body aches, and I feel exhausted.Låt mig ta din temperatur... 38,5 grader. Hur länge har du haft feber?
Let me take your temperature... 38.5 degrees. How long have you had the fever?Ungefär två dagar. Det blir värre på natten.
About two days. It gets worse at night.
What you'll learn
- Check in at a Swedish-speaking clinic
- Describe symptoms with body parts, duration, and intensity
- Mention allergies, medications, and chronic conditions
- Understand basic diagnosis and treatment instructions
- Read a Swedish prescription and ask follow-up questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I describe pain levels in Swedish?
Use the Swedish equivalent of 'mild, moderate, severe', plus 'sharp', 'dull', 'stabbing'. The vocabulary list covers this nuanced spectrum.
Will my Swedish-speaking doctor speak English?
Often yes in big cities, often no in smaller towns. Even when they do, knowing the basic Swedish medical vocabulary helps you describe symptoms more accurately.
How do I ask about side effects of medication in Swedish?
There's a specific construction — 'What are the side effects?' — that the scenario teaches. Pharmacists often answer this more thoroughly than doctors.
What's the Swedish for 'I'm allergic to penicillin'?
A critical sentence to memorise. We include it verbatim in the vocabulary list and rehearse it in the scenario.