Pharmacy & Health

1. Har dere noe mot hodepine?

   Do you have headache medicine?

   Usage

   Ask for headache medicine at a Norwegian pharmacy (apotek)

   Grammar Note

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

2. Jeg trenger magemedisin

   I need stomach medicine

   Usage

   Use when you need stomach medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Jeg trenger..." = "I need..." in Norwegian

3. Jeg trenger medisin mot diaré

   I need anti-diarrhea medicine

   Usage

   Ask for anti-diarrhea medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Diaré" from French, used as a medical term across the Nordic 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 for fever

5. Jeg har allergi

   I have an allergy

   Usage

   Inform the pharmacist about your allergy

   Grammar Note

   "Jeg er allergisk mot..." = "I am allergic to..."

6. Jeg trenger plaster

   I need bandages/plasters

   Usage

   Ask for bandages or plasters at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Plaster" means bandage in Norwegian, shared across Nordic languages

7. Jeg trenger insektsmiddel

   I need insect repellent

   Usage

   Ask for insect repellent at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Insekts" (insect's) + "middel" (remedy) = insect repellent

8. Jeg trenger solkrem

   I need sunscreen

   Usage

   Ask for sunscreen at a pharmacy

   Grammar Note

   "Sol" (sun) + "krem" (cream) = sunscreen. Same root as Swedish "solkräm"

9. Hvordan tar jeg denne medisinen?

   How do I take this medicine?

   Usage

   Ask the pharmacist how to take the medicine

   Grammar Note

   "Ta medisin" = take medicine in Norwegian

10. Trenger jeg resept?

    Do I need a prescription?

    Usage

    Check if a prescription is needed

    Grammar Note

    "Reseptfri" = without prescription (OTC) is an important Norwegian pharmacy term

11. resept

    Prescription

    Usage

    The prescription itself; show this at the pharmacy counter

    Grammar Note

    An "en" noun, definite "resepten"; over-the-counter medicine is "reseptfri"

12. apotek

    Pharmacy

    Usage

    Point to this when asking where a pharmacy is; Norwegian pharmacies are marked with a green cross

    Grammar Note

    A neuter noun, definite "apoteket"; the same word appears in chain names such as "Vitusapotek"

13. febernedsettende medisin

    Fever reducer

    Usage

    Asks for something to bring a fever down; the standard over-the-counter option is "Paracet" (paracetamol)

    Grammar Note

    "Febernedsettende" is an invariable adjective modifying the "en" noun "medisin"

14. febertermometer

    Thermometer

    Usage

    For buying a thermometer; shops also label it simply "termometer"

    Grammar Note

    A neuter noun, definite "febertermometeret"

15. bandasje

    Bandage

    Usage

    Asks for a bandage; a sticking plaster is a different item, "plaster"

    Grammar Note

    An "en" noun, definite "bandasjen"

16. desinfeksjonsmiddel

    Disinfectant

    Usage

    Asks for disinfectant for a wound; hand sanitiser is "håndsprit"

    Grammar Note

    A neuter noun, definite "desinfeksjonsmiddelet"

17. munnbind

    Face mask

    Usage

    Asks for a medical face mask; do not use "maske", which in Norwegian means a costume or disguise mask

    Grammar Note

    A neuter noun, definite "munnbindet"; the plural has the same form

18. sanitetsbind

    Sanitary pads

    Usage

    Asks for sanitary pads; packaging on the shelf just says "bind". A tampon is a "tampong"

    Grammar Note

    A neuter noun. Bare "bind" also means a volume of a book or a bond, so this card uses the unambiguous compound "sanitetsbind"

19. kondom

    Condom

    Usage

    Sold in pharmacies, supermarkets, and petrol stations; pointing avoids having to say it aloud

    Grammar Note

    A neuter noun, definite "kondomet", plural "kondomer"

20. øyedråper

    Eye drops

    Usage

    Asks for eye drops; for hay fever, combine it with "allergi"

    Grammar Note

    Used in the plural; the singular is "en øyedråpe"

21. smertestillende plaster

    Pain-relief patch

    Usage

    A stick-on patch for aching muscles; the exact Japanese-style poultice is rare, and the heat version is "varmeplaster"

    Grammar Note

    "Plaster" is a neuter noun; on its own it means a sticking plaster, so add "smertestillende" for the pain-relief kind

22. Kan jeg få et avføringsmiddel?

    A laxative, please

    Usage

    Use at a pharmacy when constipated. Avføringsmiddel means a medicine that speeds up bowel movements

    Grammar Note

    "Avføringsmiddel" is a neuter ("et") compound of "avføring" (stool) and "middel" (remedy). To ask by symptom you can also say "Har dere noe mot forstoppelse?" (do you have something for constipation?)

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