Luxembourgish at the doctor and the pharmacy: words and sentences with audio
Saying where it hurts, booking an appointment, asking for a pharmacy on duty, a prescription and a sick note: the Luxembourgish you need at the doctor's and the pharmacy, with real sentences from the LOD dictionary and native recordings.
Updated · 4 min read
Most doctors in Luxembourg will switch to French, German or English — but describing a pain in Luxembourgish is the moment the language stops being a school subject. This guide gives you the words and sentences for the doctor's surgery, the dentist and the pharmacy. Every one comes from the Lëtzebuerger Online Dictionnaire (LOD) and is read by a native speaker.
In an emergency, call 112 — the European emergency number — in any language. Learn the words below for everyday visits, not for the moment you need help fast.
The words
| Luxembourgish | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| den Dokter / d'Doktesch | the doctor (man / woman) | *den Hausdokter* — the family doctor (GP) |
| den Zänndokter | the dentist | z is said ts] — see [pronunciation |
| d'Apdikt / den Apdikter | the pharmacy / the pharmacist | |
| de Rendez-vous | the appointment | stress on the last syllable |
| d'Ordonnance | the prescription | from French, like many medical words |
| d'Medikament / d'Pëll | the medicine / the pill | plural *Medikamenter*, *Pëllen* |
| d'Péng | the pain | |
| d'Féiwer | the fever, temperature | |
| den Houscht | the cough | |
| d'Gripp | the flu, a cold | |
| d'Allergie | the allergy | *eng Allergie op …* — an allergy to… |
| de Krankeschäin | the sick note | goes to the *Krankekeess*, the national health insurance (CNS) |
| d'Spidol / d'Ambulanz | the hospital / the ambulance | |
| krank / gesond | ill / healthy |
Saying where it hurts
Luxembourgish says *I have the head sore*: ech hunn de Kapp wéi — hunn + the body part + wéi. The verb wéidoen means to hurt.
Ech hunn de Kapp wéi.
Literally: I have a headache.
Ech hunn den Hals wéi.
Literally: I have a sore throat.
Eist Klengt huet de Bauch esou wéi, datt mer besser bei den Dokter ginn.
Literally: Our little one has such a stomach ache that we'd better go to the doctor.
Meaning: bei den Dokter goen — to go to the doctor's (goen).
Ech hat eng Péng am Leif, ech kann der se net beschreiwen!
Literally: I had a pain in my body I can't even describe to you!
Meaning: beschreiwen = to describe; hat — the simple past of hunn (past tense).
Fever, cough, flu
D'Kand hat dës Nuecht héicht Féiwer.
Literally: The child had a high temperature last night.
Hues de d'Féiwer scho gemooss?
Literally: Have you taken your temperature yet?
Ech kann net mat an d'Schwämm goen, well ech den Houscht hunn.
Literally: I can't come to the swimming pool because I have a cough.
Bass de géint d'Gripp geimpft?
Literally: Have you been vaccinated against the flu?
Hien huet eng Allergie op Nëss.
Literally: He is allergic to nuts.
Booking an appointment
Ech hunn d'nächst Woch e Rendez-vous beim Dokter.
Literally: I have a doctor's appointment next week.
Ech hu muer Rendez-vous beim Zänndokter.
Literally: I have a dentist's appointment tomorrow.
Bei villen Doktere muss ee fir e Rendez-vous, deen ee vergiess huet, awer bezuelen.
Literally: With many doctors you still have to pay for an appointment you forgot.
Meaning: Worth knowing: cancel in time. vergiessen = to forget.
Mäin Hausdokter huet mech bei e Spezialist geschéckt.
Literally: My family doctor sent me to a specialist.
Meaning: schécken = to send.
On the phone, start with Moien and your name, say what is wrong in one sentence, and ask for a time: the questions guide has *wéini* (when) and *wéi vill Auer* (what time). End with merci and äddi.
At the doctor's
Mir deet alles wéi, mee den Dokter seet, ech hätt näischt.
Literally: Everything hurts, but the doctor says there's nothing wrong with me.
Meaning: ech hätt — reported speech with the conditional of hunn.
Wann d'Péng net vergeet, da muss de bei den Dokter goen!
Literally: If the pain doesn't go away, you have to go to the doctor!
D'Patientin kritt staark Medikamenter géint d'Péng.
Literally: The patient is getting strong painkillers.
Meaning: kréien — *kritt* = gets.
Du muss däi Krankeschäin op d'Krankekeess schécken!
Literally: You have to send your sick note to the health insurance!
At the pharmacy
Pharmacies in Luxembourg take turns to stay open at night and at weekends. To ask which one is on duty, LOD has the perfect sentence:
Wat fir eng Apdikt huet haut den Owend Déngscht?
Literally: Which pharmacy is on duty tonight?
Dat Medikament kriss de net ouni Ordonnance.
Literally: You can't get that medicine without a prescription.
Dat Medikament gëtt et a flësseger Form an als Pëllen.
Literally: That medicine comes as a liquid and as pills.
Dat Medikament huet eng Rei Niewewierkungen.
Literally: That medicine has a number of side effects.
Emergencies and the hospital
Huet schonn een eng Ambulanz geruff?
Literally: Has anyone called an ambulance yet?
De Kranke gouf mat der Ambulanz an d'Spidol gefouert.
Literally: The patient was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Meaning: gouf … gefouert — the passive in the past, with *gouf* (ginn).
If you work in health or care
Nurses, carers and doctors' assistants hear these sentences every day — and patients notice when you answer in Luxembourgish. Build from the 100 everyday verbs, the questions guide and polite Dir (pronouns). For conversation practice on your own work situations, Edluxio has independent teachers for 1-to-1 online lessons — native Luxembourgish speakers among them, and professionals from health and many other fields; a trial lesson is refunded in full if the first one isn't right for you.
Learn the words before you need them
16Word teaches Luxembourgish 16 words at a time with native recordings, in topics from everyday life to dozens of jobs. Free to start.
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Questions about Luxembourgish at the doctor
How do you say I have a headache in Luxembourgish?
Ech hunn de Kapp wéi — literally I have the head sore. The same pattern works for any body part: ech hunn den Hals wéi (sore throat), de Bauch wéi (stomach ache).
How do you say doctor and pharmacy in Luxembourgish?
Den Dokter (a woman doctor: d'Doktesch), and d'Apdikt for the pharmacy; the pharmacist is den Apdikter.
How do you ask which pharmacy is open tonight?
Wat fir eng Apdikt huet haut den Owend Déngscht? — Which pharmacy is on duty tonight?
What is a Krankeschäin?
A sick note from your doctor. As the LOD example says, it has to be sent to the Krankekeess, the national health insurance.
What is the emergency number in Luxembourg?
112, the European emergency number.
Official sources
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