Sickness and pain
Ziekte en pijn
- Express sickness and pain.
- Express your medical condition at the doctor's office.
- Adverbs Anders, graag, zo, heel,...
This lesson covers common Dutch expressions for discussing sickness and symptoms like 'koorts' (fever) and 'hoesten' (coughing), as well as useful words related to help and recovery such as 'medicijn' (medicine) and 'beterschap' (get well). You will learn to describe your symptoms, make a doctor's appointment, and discuss treatments effectively.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (13) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Divide the words into two groups: words related to illness and symptoms, and words related to help and recovery.
Ziekte en symptomen
Hulp en herstel
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
De griep
The flu
2
Schrijven
To write
3
Beterschap!
Get well soon!
4
Ziek
Ill
5
Het medicijn
The medicine
Oefening 5: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- Describe the symptoms of each person. (Describe the symptoms of each person.)
- Play a dialogue at the doctor's office. (Play a dialogue at the doctor's office.)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
|
Hij heeft pijn in de nek. He has pain in the neck. |
|
Je hebt koorts. You have a fever. |
|
Mijn rug doet pijn. My back hurts. |
|
Waar doet het pijn? Where does it hurt? |
|
Ik heb een hoest. I have a cough. |
|
Ik heb hoofdpijn. I have a headache. |
|
Ik heb buikpijn. I have a stomachache. |
|
Ik voel me misselijk. I feel nauseous. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Kunt u mij _____ met mijn hoofdpijn?
(Can you _____ me with my headache?)2. Ik _____ graag mijn vrienden als ze ziek zijn.
(I _____ like to help my friends when they are sick.)3. De dokter _____ een recept voor het medicijn.
(The doctor _____ a prescription for the medicine.)4. Ik _____ mijn klachten op vóór het bezoek aan de dokter.
(I _____ down my complaints before the visit to the doctor.)Exercise 8: An appointment with the doctor
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Helpen - Help
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik help
- jij helpt
- hij/zij/het helpt
- wij helpen
- jullie helpen
- zij helpen
Schrijven - Write
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik schrijf
- jij schrijft
- hij/zij/het schrijft
- wij schrijven
- jullie schrijven
- zij schrijven
Hoesten - Cough
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik hoest
- jij hoest
- hij/zij/het hoest
- wij hoesten
- jullie hoesten
- zij hoesten
Vragen - Ask
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd
- ik vraag
- jij vraagt
- hij/zij/het vraagt
- wij vragen
- jullie vragen
- zij vragen
Exercise 9: Bijwoorden Anders, graag, zo, heel,...
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Adverbs Anders, graag, zo, heel,...
Show translation Show answersheel, nergens, niet, anders, zo, nooit, graag
Grammar Share Copied!
It's not the most exciting thing, we admit, but it’s absolutely essential (and we promise it'll pay off)!
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Helpen to help Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) help | I help |
| (jij) helpt/help | you help |
| (hij/zij/het) helpt | he/she/it helps |
| (wij) helpen | we help |
| (jullie) helpen | you help |
| (zij) helpen | they help |
Schrijven to write Share Copied!
Onvoltooid tegenwoordige tijd (OTT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) schrijf | I write |
| (jij) schrijft/schrijf | you write/write |
| (hij/zij/het) schrijft | he/she/it writes |
| (wij) schrijven | we write |
| (jullie) schrijven | you write |
| (zij) schrijven | they write |
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Understanding Sickness and Pain in Dutch
This lesson introduces essential vocabulary and expressions related to sickness, symptoms, and recovery in Dutch. It is designed for A1-level learners who want to communicate effectively about health issues, make appointments with the doctor, describe symptoms, and discuss medications and recovery.
Key Vocabulary
The lesson clusters words into two main categories:
- Illness and Symptoms: de griep (the flu), de koorts (fever), misselijk (nauseous), hoesten (coughing), het symptoom (symptom), ziek (sick)
- Help and Recovery: het medicijn (medicine), helpen (to help), beterschap (get well soon)
Common Expressions and Adverbs
You will encounter useful adverbs such as anders (differently), graag (gladly/please), zo (so), and heel (very) that help describe the intensity of symptoms or preferences when making requests:
- Ik voel me niet goed, ik heb koorts en ik hoest heel erg. (I don't feel well, I have a fever and I am coughing badly.)
- Mag ik graag een afspraak maken bij de dokter? (May I please make an appointment with the doctor?)
Using Verbs in Context
The lesson focuses on present tense verbs useful for describing health situations and actions around sickness, such as helpen (to help), schrijven (to write), hoesten (to cough), and vragen (to ask). For example:
- Kunt u mij helpen met mijn hoofdpijn? (Can you help me with my headache?)
- Ik schrijf mijn klachten op vóór het bezoek aan de dokter. (I write down my complaints before the doctor's visit.)
Practical Dialogues
The material includes dialogues for making doctor's appointments, describing symptoms, and visiting the pharmacy. Practicing these dialogues will help learners handle real-life conversations about health.
Useful Phrases for Health Situations
- Beterschap! (Get well soon!)
- Rust goed uit. (Rest well.)
- Heeft u iets tegen misselijkheid? (Do you have something against nausea?)
Language Insights
In Dutch, people often use graag when politely requesting something, which is less common as a direct translation in English requests but conveys politeness, e.g., "Mag ik graag een afspraak maken bij de dokter?" means "May I please make an appointment with the doctor?"
Unlike English, Dutch word order can be flexible, especially with adverbs like heel erg (very much/very), used to intensify symptoms: "ik hoest heel erg" means "I cough very much" or "I am coughing badly."
For adult learners, focusing on describing symptoms clearly and politely asking for help are essential skills this lesson supports.
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