German · Bereitschaftsdienst 116 117
At night your child falls ill and you phone the out-of-hours service: what to say in German
At night your child falls ill and you phone the on-call service.
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How it's done. At night and at weekends, when practices are closed, call 116 117 (the on-call doctor service); in a life-threatening situation call 112.Prepared by the Movko team, November 2026. This is language help, not legal or medical advice: check the rules with the office itself.
Cheat sheet for your visit
The first phrase is open: tap ▶ to listen, or “Show” to show it to the other person. The rest of the dialogue is in the course in the app.
1
THEY SPEAK FIRST
THEY SAY
Ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst, guten Abend!EHRTS-tlee-khuh beh-RIGH-chuhfts-deenst, GOO-tayn AH-baynt!
On-call doctor service, good evening!
YOU REPLY
Guten Abend, mein Sohn hat hohes Fieber und Bauchschmerzen.
GOO-tayn AH-baynt, mighn zohn khaht KHOH-es FEE-buh oont BOWKHSH-mehr-tsayn.
Good evening, my son has a high fever and stomach ache.
Or say:Guten Abend, meine Tochter hat seit einer Stunde hohes Fieber.
GOO-tayn AH-baynt, MIGH-neh TOKH-tuh khaht zight IGH-nuh SHTOON-deh KHOH-es FEE-buh.
THEY SAY
Wie alt ist Ihr Kind? Wie heißt es?Vee ahlt eest eer keent? Vee khighst es?
How old is your child? What is the name?
They might also say:
Nennen Sie mir bitte Namen und Alter des Kindes.
NEH-nayn zee meer BEE-teh NAH-mayn oont AHL-tuh des KEEN-des.
Please tell me the child's name and age.
2
YOU FINISH
Er heißt Maks und ist vier Jahre alt.
Ehr khighst mahks oont eest feer YAH-reh ahlt.
His name is Maks and he is four years old.
THEY SAY
Ich verbinde Sie mit dem Arzt. Bleiben Sie bitte dran.Eekh fehr-BEEN-deh zee meet dem ahrtst. BLIGH-bayn zee BEE-teh drahn.
I'll put you through to the doctor. Please hold the line.
The course is in the app
This dialogue is part of the course “German for life in Germany”: 416 situations with audio, a pronunciation guide and spaced review.
On the website the first dialogue, the 112 category, the rescue phrases and the “Basics” are fully open.
Words worth knowing
Ärztlicher
EHRTS-tlee-khuh
adjective
medical
Bereitschaftsdienst
beh-RIGH-chuhfts-deenst
noun
on-call service
guten
GOO-tayn
adjective
good (in greetings)
Abend
AH-baynt
noun
evening
Sohn
zohn
noun
son
hat
khaht
verb
has
25 more words, with explanations, base forms and tap-a-word help, are in the app.
If you did not understand
Können Sie das bitte wiederholen?
KYOH-nayn zee dahs BEE-teh vee-dehr-KHOH-layn?
Can you repeat that, please?
Können Sie bitte langsamer sprechen?
KYOH-nayn zee BEE-teh LAHNG-zuh-muh SHPREH-khayn?
Can you speak more slowly, please?
Ich spreche noch nicht gut Deutsch.
Eekh SHPREH-kheh nokh neekht goot doych.
I don't speak German well yet.
Similar situations
You go to the out-of-hours clinic on a SundayBereitschaftsdienst 116 117 · A2 in the app
→You phone the dentist because of a toothacheZahnarzt / Labor · A2 in the app
→You give blood for a test at the labZahnarzt / Labor · A2 in the app
→The doctor examines you and gives simple instructionsHausarztpraxis · A2 in the app
→Found a mistake? Write to us and we will fix it. This is language help, not medical or legal advice.Report