German for Nurses: 60 Essential Pflege Words & Phrases (2026)

Short answer: ward German is narrower than general German, but it forgives far less. You can survive small talk with a wrong article. You cannot chart „Patient klagt über Schmerzen" wrongly, and you cannot mishear nüchtern before a procedure. This list covers the 60 highest-frequency words and phrases in six daily nursing situations. It gives the gender and the plural for each one, because German exams and real documentation both demand them. For the exam that usually accompanies this vocabulary, see our telc B1-B2 Pflege exam guide.

1. People and roles on the ward

German	English	Note
die Pflegefachkraft, ¨-e	qualified nurse	The current official job title; replaces older terms
der/die Patient/-in, -en/-nen	patient	der Patient is an n-noun: dem Patienten
der/die Arzt/Ärztin, ¨-e/-nen	doctor	On a ward usually der Stationsarzt
die Station, -en	ward	auf Station — no article in ward jargon
die Schicht, -en	shift	Frühdienst, Spätdienst, Nachtdienst
die Übergabe, -n	handover	The key communication ritual between shifts
der Angehörige, -n	relative, family member	Adjective noun: ein Angehöriger, die Angehörigen
die Bezugspflege	primary nursing	One nurse responsible for specific patients

2. The body and common complaints

German	English	Note
der Schmerz, -en	pain	Nearly always plural: Schmerzen haben
die Wunde, -n	wound	die Wundversorgung = wound care
der Druck	pressure	der Dekubitus = pressure ulcer
die Atmung	breathing	die Atemnot = shortness of breath
der Kreislauf	circulation	Kreislaufprobleme — a classic ward complaint
die Übelkeit	nausea	Mir ist übel — dative construction
der Schwindel	dizziness	Mir ist schwindelig
das Fieber	fever	Fieber messen = to take a temperature
der Blutdruck	blood pressure	den Blutdruck messen
der Puls	pulse	den Puls fühlen/messen

3. Care activities (the verbs that fill your documentation)

German	English	Note
die Grundpflege	basic care	Washing, dressing, positioning
jemanden lagern	to position someone	Der Patient wurde gelagert
die Mobilisation	mobilisation	mobilisieren — getting the patient moving
verabreichen	to administer (medication)	Formal; charting register: Medikament verabreicht
die Verordnung, -en	(doctor's) order, prescription	nach ärztlicher Verordnung
den Verband wechseln	to change a dressing	der Verbandswechsel
die Infusion, -en	IV drip	eine Infusion anlegen
die Injektion, -en	injection	subkutan (s.c.), intramuskulär (i.m.)
absaugen	to suction	Airway care
die Ausscheidung	elimination, excretion	Documentation category
der Katheter, -	catheter	einen Katheter legen
die Prophylaxe, -n	preventive measure	Dekubitusprophylaxe, Sturzprophylaxe

4. Talking to patients (B1 phrases that carry your shift)

• „Wie fühlen Sie sich heute?" — How are you feeling today? The standard opener.
• „Haben Sie Schmerzen? Wo genau? Auf einer Skala von eins bis zehn?" — the pain assessment sequence, exactly as the oral exam expects it.
• „Ich helfe Ihnen beim Aufstehen." — helfen + dative + bei — the grammar pattern behind half of care communication.
• „Sie müssen nüchtern bleiben." — You must not eat or drink. Nüchtern (fasting) is a safety-critical word; never guess it from context.
• „Ich rufe den Arzt." — escalation phrase; in documentation: Arzt informiert.
• „Machen Sie sich keine Sorgen." — reassurance; softer than „Keine Angst".

5. Documentation and handover language

German charting is nominal style: verbs become nouns, sentences shrink. The patient complained of pain at night becomes „Patient äußerte nachts Schmerzen" or just „nächtliche Schmerzäußerung". Five patterns cover most entries:

• „Patient klagt über…" + accusative — complains of
• „Vitalzeichen unauffällig" — vitals unremarkable (unauffällig is the most common word in German charts)
• „Medikamente laut Plan verabreicht" — meds given as scheduled
• „Patient lehnt … ab" — patient refuses (must always be documented)
• „an Arzt weitergeleitet" — passed on to the doctor

The telc B1-B2 Pflege writing task uses exactly this register: a short nursing report. The exam guide covers the format. Our comparison of preparation resources lists where to practise it for free.

6. Safety-critical pairs (learn these first)

Some word pairs cause real clinical misunderstandings when confused:

• nüchtern vs müde — fasting vs tired. A patient who is nüchtern hasn't eaten; nothing to do with sleep.
• die Spritze vs der Tropf — injection/syringe vs drip.
• verabreichen vs absetzen — to administer vs to discontinue a medication. Opposite actions, both common in orders.
• der Stuhl — chair and stool (bowel movement). In documentation it almost always means the latter.
• übel vs schlecht — „Mir ist übel" = I'm nauseous; „Mir geht es schlecht" = I'm doing badly. Patients say both; chart them differently.

How to actually retain 60 words

Reading a list once creates recognition, not recall. Recall comes from meeting the same vocabulary inside changing texts and tasks, the way the exam and the ward serve it to you.

The telc B1-B2 Pflege test bank puts this word field into ready tests in the exam format. Each answer has an explanation. Start with the free Übungstest.

If you still map the bigger picture of recognition, licence and visa, start with the step-by-step guide to working as a nurse in Germany.