BicaUnit 13 · HealthA2Lesson 5 of 5: At the doctor's
At the doctor’s in European Portuguese
This is the last of 5 lessons in Unit 13, Health (Saúde), an A2 unit in which you say what hurts, describe your symptoms and get help at the pharmacy, the health centre and the hospital. It teaches 8 words and phrases, including o centro de saúde (health centre), a consulta (appointment) and marcar uma consulta (to make an appointment), and uses them in 10 example sentences. By the end you can say things like Tu tens médico de família? (“Do you have a family doctor?”). The unit’s grammar notes cover “Health care in Portugal” and “Dói-me: saying what hurts”.
Words in this lesson
| Portuguese | English |
|---|---|
o centro de saúde | health centreYour local public clinic, part of the national health service (SNS). |
a consulta | appointment |
marcar uma consulta | to make an appointment |
o médico de famíliaalso a médica de família | family doctor |
o número de utente | patient numberYour number in the national health service. You get it at the centro de saúde. |
as urgências | emergency roomAlways plural: ir às urgências = to go to the emergency room. |
o hospital | hospital |
a enfermeiraalso o enfermeiro | nurse |
Example sentences
- Eu queria marcar uma consulta.I'd like to make an appointment.Queria + infinitive is the polite way to ask for something.
- Eu ainda não tenho número de utente.I don't have a patient number yet.Ainda não = not yet. You get your número de utente at the centro de saúde.
- Doutor, dói-me aqui.Doctor, it hurts here.Patients often address doctors as senhor doutor or senhora doutora.
- Eu tenho uma consulta às dez.I have an appointment at ten.
- Ontem eu fui às urgências.Yesterday I went to the emergency room.Fui = I went. Às = a + as.
- O meu médico de família é muito bom.My family doctor is very good.
- A enfermeira trabalha nas urgências.The nurse works in the emergency room.
- Eu tenho de ir ao centro de saúde.I have to go to the health centre.
- O hospital fica longe daqui?Is the hospital far from here?Daqui = de + aqui: from here.
- Tu tens médico de família?Do you have a family doctor?
Grammar notes
The grammar notes for this lesson are on the page for Unit 13: Health: