Polish at the doctor
and the pharmacy

Short answer. The key Polish phrases at the doctor's are Chcę umówić wizytę na jutro. (I want to make an appointment for tomorrow), Boli mnie gardło i mam kaszel. (I have a sore throat and a cough) and Mam receptę od lekarza. (I have a prescription from the doctor); this page has 32 phrases for booking, the appointment and the pharmacy. Prescriptions in Poland are electronic (e-recepta): at the pharmacy you give the code and your PESEL number.

People usually see a doctor when they feel bad, and that is exactly when words in a foreign language are hardest to find. So learn your doctor phrases in advance, while you are well. In Polish clinics, staff often speak only Polish with foreigners, and at reception and in pharmacies even more so. But the conversation follows a predictable pattern: the doctor asks what hurts, since when, and whether you are taking any medication. If you can answer those three questions, you will manage.

Below, the phrases follow the steps of a visit: booking, symptoms, what the doctor will say, and the pharmacy. All of them come from Talkfirst's Polish decks, so you can practise them out loud straight away. Basics like "I don't understand" and "could you repeat that" are in Polish for beginners: essential phrases, and you will need them at the doctor's just as much.

Phrases for the doctor and pharmacy

Booking an appointment

Describing symptoms

At the appointment: what the doctor says

Words you will hear at the clinic

At the pharmacy

A man says Jestem chory, a woman says Jestem chora. When a doctor or pharmacist addresses you politely, they say pan to a man and pani to a woman: Czy bierze pan leki? or Czy bierze pani leki?

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 answers are short: at an appointment you do not need long sentences, just the key facts said clearly.

Tips: how a doctor's visit works in Poland

Start with a family doctor. In the public system (NFZ) almost everything begins with a lekarz rodzinny, the family doctor at the clinic (przychodnia) where you are registered. For most specialists you need a referral to be covered by insurance: skierowanie do specjalisty. A private clinic (wizyta prywatna) does not need a referral, but you pay for the visit.

Book by phone or online. The key word for booking is termin, an available appointment slot. Ask Czy są wolne terminy? and be ready to give your surname and PESEL number. If you cannot come, cancel: Muszę odwołać wizytę.

Your prescription arrives on your phone. Prescriptions in Poland are electronic (e-recepta): the doctor gives you a four-digit code or sends it by text message, and at the pharmacy you give the code and your PESEL number. Sick notes (zwolnienie lekarskie) are electronic too, and your employer sees them automatically.

Ask the pharmacist for advice. A pharmacist can suggest over-the-counter medicine for a cold, a cough or pain. Describe the symptom and ask Co pani poleca? or Co pan poleca? Always check how to take it: Jak to brać: przed czy po jedzeniu?

At night and on public holidays there is out-of-hours care: nocna i świąteczna opieka zdrowotna. In a life-threatening emergency call 112, the EU-wide emergency number.

Prepare your sentences in advance. Before the visit, write down 3–4 sentences on paper or on your phone: what hurts, since when, what medication you take, and what you are allergic to. Reading a prepared note at the appointment is perfectly fine. And if you say the sentences out loud at home first, they will come out on their own at the doctor's.

How to learn these phrases

There is no phonetic respelling here on purpose; the phrasebook hub explains why. Spend one evening on the reading rules in the beginner's guide, then play the phrases on flashcards and repeat them out loud. Start with "Describing symptoms": you will need those first, and they are easy to adapt — Boli mnie plus whatever hurts.

Questions and answers