Body Parts

1. der Kopf

   Head

   Usage

   Show it at a clinic and point to your head. A headache is one compound word, "Kopfschmerzen"

   Grammar Note

   Masculine. German builds pain words by compounding the body part with "Schmerzen"

2. die Haare

   Hair

   Usage

   Used at a salon or barber, and plural when you mean all of it: "bitte die Haare schneiden"

   Grammar Note

   The singular "das Haar" is neuter and means one single strand

3. das Gesicht

   Face

   Usage

   Use it to mark the treatment area at a spa, or to show a skin problem to a doctor

4. die Augen

   Eyes

   Usage

   Point to them for pain or redness, or to ask for "Augentropfen" — eye drops

   Grammar Note

   The singular "das Auge" is neuter

5. das Ohr

   Ear

   Usage

   Use it for ear trouble after a flight or a dive. Earache is "Ohrenschmerzen"

6. die Nase

   Nose

   Usage

   Point to it at a pharmacy for a blocked nose ("verstopfte Nase") or a nosebleed ("Nasenbluten")

7. der Mund

   Mouth

   Usage

   Use it for pain inside the mouth. A mouth ulcer is "eine Aphthe"

8. die Zähne

   Teeth

   Usage

   Show it at the dentist while pointing at the tooth. Toothache is "Zahnschmerzen" and the dentist "der Zahnarzt"

   Grammar Note

   The singular "der Zahn" is masculine

9. die Zunge

   Tongue

   Usage

   For a burnt tongue or a sore on it

10. der Hals

    Throat / Neck

    Usage

    German "Hals" covers both the throat inside and the front of the neck. "Ich habe Halsschmerzen" is all a pharmacy needs. The back of the neck is a separate word, "der Nacken"

11. der Nacken

    Back of the neck

    Usage

    For a stiff neck or tension. At a massage shop "Nacken und Schultern" makes the area clear

12. die Schulter

    Shoulder

    Usage

    Point to it to ask a masseur to focus there

13. der Arm

    Arm

    Usage

    Use it to show where you were hurt. German keeps the arm and the hand apart, as English does

14. der Ellbogen

    Elbow

    Usage

    A common place for grazes — point to it after a bike spill. Also spelled "der Ellenbogen"

15. das Handgelenk

    Wrist

    Usage

    For a sprain — literally "hand joint": "ich habe mir das Handgelenk verstaucht"

16. die Hand

    Hand

    Usage

    Use it to show an injury or the area to be treated at a nail salon

    Grammar Note

    Plural "die Hände"

17. der Finger

    Finger

    Usage

    Point to it for an injury or a ring size. The thumb is "der Daumen" and a toe "der Zeh"

18. der Fingernagel

    Fingernail

    Usage

    Use it at a nail salon or to show an ingrown nail. In speech "der Nagel" alone is enough

19. die Brust

    Chest

    Usage

    Point to it for chest pain or tightness — urgent, so show it early. "Ich habe Schmerzen in der Brust" is the set phrase

20. der Bauch

    Belly / Abdomen

    Usage

    The key word for food trouble: "ich habe Bauchschmerzen". Diarrhoea is "der Durchfall"

21. der Magen

    Stomach (organ)

    Usage

    German separates the belly you can touch ("der Bauch") from the digestive organ ("der Magen"). At a pharmacy, "etwas für den Magen" gets you stomach medicine

22. der Rücken

    Back

    Usage

    Use it to direct a massage or to show where the pain is. Back pain is "Rückenschmerzen"

23. der untere Rücken

    Lower back

    Usage

    There is no single German word for it — use this or the medical "Lendenwirbelsäule" for pain, and "die Taille" for a waist measurement. A sudden strain is "ein Hexenschuss"

24. die Hüfte

    Hip

    Usage

    The joint at the side of the pelvis. The buttocks themselves are "der Po"

25. das Bein

    Leg

    Usage

    Point to it to show an injury or the area for a massage. The calf is "die Wade", the thigh "der Oberschenkel"

26. das Knie

    Knee

    Usage

    For knee pain after a hike or a ski day, or to show a fall injury. The classic complaint on an Alpine descent

27. der Fuß

    Foot

    Usage

    For blisters and injuries. A blister is "eine Blase"

    Grammar Note

    Plural "die Füße". Swiss German drops the ß and writes "Fuss"

28. der Knöchel

    Ankle

    Usage

    Point to it for a sprain: "ich habe mir den Knöchel verstaucht"

29. der Zeh

    Toe

    Usage

    For a stubbed toe or a split nail. The feminine "die Zehe" is equally correct

30. die Haut

    Skin

    Usage

    Use it at a pharmacy for bites, sunburn ("Sonnenbrand") or a rash

31. der Knochen

    Bone

    Usage

    Use it when you think something is broken. A fracture is "ein Knochenbruch": "ich glaube, es ist gebrochen"

32. das Blut

    Blood

    Usage

    For bleeding or a blood test. Your group is "die Blutgruppe" and a blood draw "die Blutabnahme"

33. das Herz

    Heart

    Usage

    For palpitations or a long-term condition: "ich habe eine Herzkrankheit"

34. die Lunge

    Lung

    Usage

    For a cough, breathlessness or asthma. Pneumonia is "eine Lungenentzündung"

35. der Darm

    Intestine

    Usage

    Use it with a doctor for lasting diarrhoea or abdominal trouble. A stomach bug is "die Magen-Darm-Grippe", where the word turns up constantly

36. die Leber

    Liver

    Usage

    Use it when telling a doctor about a liver condition or your medication

37. die Niere

    Kidney

    Usage

    For a kidney condition or pain in your side. A stone is "ein Nierenstein"

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