Pharmacy & Health

1. Har I noget mod hovedpine?

   Do you have headache medicine?

   Usage

   Ask for headache medicine at a Danish pharmacy (apotek)

   Grammar Note

   "Mod + symptom" = "for/against". Danish is mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Swedish

2. Jeg har brug for medicin mod mavepine

   I need stomach medicine

   Usage

   Use when you need stomach medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Jeg har brug for..." = "I need...". Medicines are named with "medicin mod ~" (medicine against ~), as in "medicin mod diarré". "mavestyrkende medicin" means "stomach-strengthening medicine", an archaic phrase that does not read as asking for stomach medicine

3. Jeg har brug for medicin mod diarré

   I need anti-diarrhea medicine

   Usage

   Ask for anti-diarrhea medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Diarré" from French, commonly used across Scandinavian languages

4. Jeg har feber

   I have a fever

   Usage

   Tell the pharmacist you have a fever

   Grammar Note

   "Feber" from Latin, shared across Nordic languages

5. Jeg har en allergi

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Inform the pharmacist about your allergy

   Grammar Note

   "Jeg er allergisk over for..." = "I am allergic to..."

6. Jeg har brug for plaster

   I need bandages/plasters

   Usage

   Ask for bandages or plasters at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Plaster" is the Danish word for bandage/plaster

7. Jeg har brug for myggespray

   I need insect repellent

   Usage

   Ask for insect repellent at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Mygge" (mosquito) + "spray" = insect repellent spray. "Insektmiddel" mainly means insecticide, so it is not used for repellent

8. Jeg har brug for solcreme

   I need sunscreen

   Usage

   Ask for sunscreen at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Sol" (sun) + "creme" (cream) = sunscreen

9. Hvordan tager jeg denne medicin?

   How do I take this medicine?

   Usage

   Ask the pharmacist how to take the medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Tage medicin" = take medicine in Danish

10. Har jeg brug for recept?

    Do I need a prescription?

    Usage

    Check if a prescription is needed

    Grammar Note

    "Håndkøb" = OTC (over the counter) is an important Danish pharmacy term

11. recept

    Prescription

    Usage

    Point to this to show or ask for a prescription; medicines sold without one are "håndkøb"

    Grammar Note

    An "en" word, definite "recepten"; in Danish "recept" only means a medical prescription — a cooking recipe is "opskrift"

12. apotek

    Pharmacy

    Usage

    Point to this when asking for a pharmacy; prescription medicines are sold only at an "apotek", supermarket shelves carry OTC items only

    Grammar Note

    An "et" word, definite "apoteket"; the shop sign reads "APOTEK"

13. febernedsættende medicin

    Fever reducer

    Usage

    Ask for something to bring a fever down; paracetamol, sold as "Panodil", is the standard in Denmark

    Grammar Note

    "Medicin" is an "en" word, definite "medicinen"; "febernedsættende" is an invariable present-participle adjective

14. febertermometer

    Thermometer (clinical)

    Usage

    Use when buying a clinical thermometer; "termometer" alone also means a weather thermometer, so the "feber-" prefix pins it down

    Grammar Note

    An "et" word, definite "febertermometret"

15. forbinding

    Bandage / dressing

    Usage

    Ask for a bandage or dressing for a wound; "bandage" is also understood. Never shorten it to "bind", which means a sanitary pad

    Grammar Note

    An "en" word, definite "forbindingen"; an elastic bandage is "elastikbind" and a gauze bandage is "gazebind"

16. desinfektionsmiddel

    Disinfectant

    Usage

    Ask for disinfectant for a wound; alcohol hand gel is "håndsprit"

    Grammar Note

    An "et" word, definite "desinfektionsmidlet"; Danish uses "-middel", unlike Swedish "-medel"

17. mundbind

    Face mask

    Usage

    Ask for a hygiene mask; do not say "maske", which means a costume or face mask for a disguise

    Grammar Note

    An "et" word, definite "mundbindet"; a compound of "mund" (mouth) + "bind" (band)

18. hygiejnebind

    Sanitary pads

    Usage

    Ask for sanitary pads; in shops they are simply called "bind". Tampons are "tamponer" and a menstrual cup is a "menstruationskop"

    Grammar Note

    An "et" word, definite "hygiejnebindet", plural also "hygiejnebind"

19. kondom

    Condom

    Usage

    Buy condoms with this word; besides pharmacies they sit on open shelves in supermarkets and kiosks

    Grammar Note

    An "et" word, definite "kondomet", plural "kondomer"

20. øjendråber

    Eye drops

    Usage

    Ask for eye drops; for hay fever add "allergi-" — "allergi-øjendråber"

    Grammar Note

    Always plural, from "en dråbe" (a drop); definite "øjendråberne"

21. smertestillende plaster

    Pain-relief patch

    Usage

    A patch for muscle or joint pain; "plaster" alone means a sticking plaster, so keep "smertestillende". In Denmark a rub-on gel such as Voltaren is more common

    Grammar Note

    "Plaster" is an "et" word, definite "plastret"; "smertestillende" is an invariable present-participle adjective

22. Et afføringsmiddel, tak

    A laxative, please

    Usage

    Used at a pharmacy to ask for a laxative. Constipation itself is "forstoppelse"

    Grammar Note

    "afføringsmiddel" is a compound of "afføring" (stool) and "middel" (agent, remedy); "middel" is neuter, so the article is "et". A noun plus "tak" is already how you ask for something in a shop

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