Lesson Transcript

Hi, everybody! Welcome back to Top Words.
My name is Alisha and in this lesson, we're going to talk about 20 useful phrases you can use when talking to your doctor.
Let's get started.
Okay, let's get to the lesson.
1. I have an appointment today.
"I have an appointment today."
When you arrive at the doctor's office, you can go to the reception desk or the person working there who is receiving people, and you can say, "I have an appointment today." This means they should be expecting you. You can expect to give your name and maybe some other personal information after you say this.
Okay. Let's go to the next expression.
2. How are you feeling today?
"How are you feeling today?"
This is a key question that your doctor will ask you. It's a question about your condition. They'll say, "How are you feeling today?" Or they might ask something like, "What seems to be the problem?" or asking something else about your specific symptoms.
So when your doctor says "How are you feeling today?" you can explain you're feeling good or not so good, depending on what kind of checkup you're doing. You can express that something is painful or something doesn't feel quite right. There are many different ways to respond to this question, so that's up to you.
Okay. Onto the next phrase.
3. Not very well.
"Not very well."
So, "Not very well" is a very general way to respond to the question, "How are you feeling today?" When you say "not very well," you should expect to provide more details. So why don't you feel very well? So this means that you just don't have a very good feeling about your body, about your condition?
Okay. Onto the next expression.
4. I think I sprained my left ankle.
"I think I sprained my left ankle."
Okay. So this is an example of a more specific way of explaining your condition. So in this case, a "sprain" is a type of sports injury and we tend to see it around the ankles or maybe around the wrists too. So, if you think that you know what type of injury you're experiencing, you can express that with something like this, "I think I sprained my ankle" in this case.
Okay. Let's go to another way to express your feeling.
5. I feel a sharp pain in my right knee.
"I feel a sharp pain in my right knee."
Okay. So this is another way that you can describe something that you're experiencing. If you're not sure about the type of injury, for example, but you want to express you're feeling a pain, you can do it with something like this.
"Sharp pain" is a knife-like pain, so you can use, "I feel a sharp pain in my (plus the body part)." In this case, your right knee. Of course, you can change that to any other body part to express that you're feeling sharp, knife-like pain in that place.
Okay. Let's go to another example.
6. My knee is aching.
"My knee is aching."
Okay. So here, we have a "knee" as our example place, again. But in this case, we're using "ache." So "aching" refers to a kind of dull, low pain, generally, that doesn't go away. So when you say that something aches, it's different from a sharp pain, which we saw in the previous example, because a sharp pain is like a very strong, knife-like pain, and "ache" is something that's kind of constant and low. So you can say, "My (body part) is aching," to mean that that's the feeling that it has now.
Okay. Let's go to the next expression.
7. My throat hurts a little.
"My throat hurts a little."
Okay. So, most people have experienced a sore throat. So you can say, "I have a sore throat" or another way to say that is, "My throat hurts a little." Of course, you can change "throat" to any other body part. "My finger hurts a little" or "my stomach hurts a little" to express that there's a little pain or a little discomfort in that body part.
Okay. Onto the next one.
8. I have a terrible stomachache.
"I have a terrible stomachache."
Okay. So, if you have pain in your stomach, so you feel sick to your stomach, you can express that with "stomachache." So we talk about the word "ache" earlier, the kind of low, constant pain. We have that in our stomach sometimes when we eat something that we disagree with or when we have some kind of bacteria in our stomachs. So, if you have a really, really bad one, if it's very, very uncomfortable, you can express that with a terrible stomachache.
"I have a terrible stomachache."
Okay, next expression.
9. I've lost my appetite.
"I've lost my appetite."
Okay. This expression means you no longer want to eat food. Your appetite is how hungry you feel when you see food. So, usually, we want to eat a few times a day, right? But if you lose your appetite, it means you're no longer interested in food. So, if you have this experience, you can tell your doctor this. You can say, "I've lost my appetite."
Okay. Next expression.
10. I have a rash on my arm.
"I have a rash on my arm."
Okay. So, a "rash" is a part of your skin that turns red or maybe even another color and that sometimes is itchy or maybe kind of painful. So if you have one of these spots on your skin, you can express that with, "I have a rash on my + (the body part)." So I have a rash on my arm, I have a rash on my neck, and so on.
Okay. Next expression.
11. Do you have a cough?
"Do you have a cough?"
This is a question that will come from the doctor. So if they want to check your symptoms, they might ask, "Do you have a cough?" or "Do you have some other symptom?"
A cough refers to an uncomfortable feeling where you want to push the air out of your lungs, in this sound (aha). It's called a cough. So, your doctor might ask you, "Do you have a cough?" to check your symptoms.
Okay. Next expression…
12. I get tired very quickly.
"I get tired very quickly."
Okay. So, this expression refers to fatigue or a feeling of having no energy. If your doctor asks about your symptoms and you want to express that recently you don't have much energy, you can say, "I feel tired very quickly." This helps the doctor understand that there's been a recent change in your energy levels.
Okay, next expression.
13. Does it hurt when I press here?
"Does it hurt when I press here?"
This is another question that will come from the doctor. During a physical examination, the doctor may touch parts of your body and the doctor might ask you, "Does it hurt when I press here?" which means do you feel pain when I press this spot on your body? So, just answer yes or no to respond.
Okay. Next expression.
14. Take this medicine and rest.
"Take this medicine and rest."
This is an instruction from the doctor. After your examination, your doctor might tell you to take some medicine, so, they might also tell you to get some rest. In this case, it's both. Take some medicine and rest. It means, take the medicine the doctor is giving you and rest your body.
Okay, next expression.
15. You might need surgery.
"You might need surgery."
Okay. So, this is something that will come from the doctor after your physical examination. If your injury or your sickness cannot be treated just by using medicine, you might have to have an operation or surgery. So, there are very simple surgeries and there are more complex surgeries, so it depends on your condition. But, if the doctor thinks you may need something like this, they'll tell you with an expression like, "You might need surgery."
Okay, next expression.
16. I need a medical certificate.
"I need a medical certificate."
If you need a document that describes your health condition or your medical history, you can ask for one with this expression, "I need a medical certificate." You might not have to ask your doctor specifically for this. In many cases, you can simply ask the reception desk for this information.
Okay. Next expression.
17. I'd like to get a second opinion.
"I'd like to get a second opinion."
Okay. This expression means I'd like to get a second doctor's opinion. So, after your physical examination, if you're not sure about this doctor's conclusion, you might want to talk to another doctor and get their opinion about your condition. You can express that with "I'd like to get a second opinion."
Okay, next expression.
18. That's a relief!
"That's a relief."
Okay. "That's a relief" is an expression that you can use when you feel relieved about the doctor's conclusion. If you thought you might have a serious illness, but the doctor says you just have a cold and it's no problem, you can express that feeling of relief with this expression, "Ah, that's a relief! It's just a cold."
Okay. Next expression.
19. Please come back next week for a checkup.
"Please come back next week for a checkup."
This is an instruction you may receive from your doctor. So after your first examination, maybe you received some medicine or you have some other kinds of care or treatment guidelines, your doctor wants to check your condition again in a week. They will say something like this, "Please come back next week for a checkup."
Okay, next expression…
20. Thank you, I will confirm the date of my visit.
"Thank you, I will confirm the date of my visit."
All right. This is an expression that you would typically use if you are making a schedule for upcoming treatment or an upcoming doctor's appointment. You might say this on the phone or in person to someone, if you need to check your schedule before you confirm something.
"Thanks, I need to confirm the date of my visit."
All right! That brings us to the end of 20 useful phrases you can use when talking to your doctor. What did you think? You can let us know in the comments. Thanks very much for watching this video and I will see you again next time. Bye!

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