Czech at the doctor
hospital and pharmacy

Short answer. The key Czech phrases at the doctor's are Chci se objednat k lékaři na zítra. (I want to make a doctor's appointment for tomorrow), Bolí mě hlava už od rána. (I've had a headache since the morning) and Máte něco na kašel? (do you have anything for a cough?); this page has 31 phrases for booking, the appointment, the pharmacy and emergencies. First register with a GP (praktický lékař), and out of hours go to the pohotovost.

Being ill is the worst time to search for words in a foreign language, and it is exactly when you need to explain yourself clearly. So learn your doctor phrases while you are still healthy. Many Czech GPs, nurses and pharmacists speak only Czech. The good news is that a medical appointment follows a familiar script: what is wrong, for how long, what medication you take and whether you have allergies. You can prepare all four answers at home.

Below, the phrases follow the order of a visit: booking and reception, symptoms, what the doctor says, the pharmacy and emergencies. They all come from Talkfirst's Czech decks, so you can practise them out loud straight away. For the reading rules and what to say when you don't understand someone, see Czech for beginners: essential phrases.

Phrases for the doctor, hospital and pharmacy

Booking and arriving

Describing symptoms

In the surgery: what the doctor says

At the pharmacy

Emergencies

Doctors, nurses and pharmacists address you formally, so their instructions use the polite plural form: Posaďte se means "sit down", Zhluboka dýchejte means "breathe deeply". Answer them formally too. One trap with throats: Bolí mě v krku, with the preposition, means "I have a sore throat", while the word krk on its own can also mean your neck.

Dialogue: at the doctor's

The doctor's lines come from the "At the doctor's" scene that Talkfirst's AI conversation partner plays out with you, out loud. The patient's answers are short: at an appointment you just need the key facts said clearly.

Tips: how healthcare works in Czechia

Register with a GP before you need one. Your main doctor in Czechia is the praktický lékař, a general practitioner. You register with one in advance rather than on the day you fall ill. Not every practice takes new patients, so you may need to call a few and ask Přijímáte nové pacienty? Children are registered with a separate paediatrician, and you register with a dentist (zubař) separately as well.

Carry your insurance card. At reception you will be asked for the card from your health insurer, the zdravotní pojišťovna. Keep it in your wallet next to your ID.

Specialists usually need a referral. In most cases the way to a specialist starts with your GP, who writes a referral, a doporučení (informally doporučenka). Do not confuse it with a žádanka, which is a request form for tests or scans. Some specialists will see you without one, but a referral makes booking easier and explains why you have come.

Prescriptions and sick notes are electronic. A prescription is issued as an eRecept: the code arrives by text message or in an app, and you show it at any pharmacy. A sick note, the neschopenka, is also handled electronically: the doctor enters it into the system and your employer is notified. It is still a good idea to tell your manager yourself.

Evenings and weekends. When your GP's surgery is closed and you can't wait, go to the pohotovost, the out-of-hours emergency service, which is often based at a hospital (nemocnice). If someone's life is in danger, call 155 for an ambulance or 112, the EU-wide emergency number. To ask people nearby to call an ambulance: Rychle, zavolejte sanitku!

Floors are counted the British way. The ground floor is přízemí, and první patro is the next one up, as in British English. So Ordinace je ve druhém patře means the surgery is two flights up, not one.

How to learn these phrases

There is no phonetic respelling on this page on purpose; the Czech phrasebook hub explains why. Play each phrase on a flashcard and repeat it out loud until it comes out without hesitation. Learn whole phrases, then swap the details: once you know Mám alergii na ořechy, replace the last word with whatever you are allergic to. Start with "Describing symptoms": those are the phrases you will need first.

Questions and answers