Dal medico: sintomi, diagnosi e prescrizioni
At the doctor's office · a free Italian immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
Buongiorno, ho un appuntamento con il dottor Ferretti alle dieci.
Good morning, I have an appointment with Doctor Ferretti at ten.
Literal Good morning, I have an appointment with the doctor Ferretti at ten.
A standard arrival phrase at any medical reception. 'Ho un appuntamento' is the essential expression for announcing a scheduled visit.
- 'Ho' is the first-person singular of avere (to have)
- 'con il dottor' = preposition 'con' + definite article 'il' before a masculine title
Ho mal di gola e un po' di febbre da ieri sera.
I have a sore throat and a slight fever since last night.
Literal I have pain of throat and a little of fever since yesterday evening.
'Ho mal di...' is the go-to Italian phrase for describing any bodily ailment. 'Da' followed by a time expression means 'since' or 'for' — it signals how long the condition has lasted.
- 'Mal di gola' = sore throat; mal di + body part is a fixed pattern
- 'da + time expression' = since / for (describing ongoing duration)
Mi fa anche male la testa, soprattutto quando mi alzo.
My head also hurts, especially when I get up.
Literal To me it also makes pain the head, especially when I get up.
'Mi fa male' is an idiomatic structure where the body part acts as the subject of 'fare male'. 'Mi alzo' is reflexive — 'alzarsi' means to get up, and 'mi' is the reflexive pronoun.
- 'Mi fa male + body part' = [body part] hurts me; body part is the grammatical subject
- 'mi alzo' = reflexive verb alzarsi in first-person singular
Ha avuto problemi simili in passato, o è la prima volta?
Have you had similar problems in the past, or is it the first time?
Literal Has had similar problems in the past, or is it the first time?
The doctor uses the formal 'Lei' form throughout. 'Ha avuto' is the passato prossimo (present perfect), used here to ask about medical history. The subject 'Lei' is implied.
- 'Ha avuto' = passato prossimo of avere — formal Lei form (same as third-person singular)
- 'è la prima volta' = it is the first time — useful fixed phrase
L'anno scorso ho avuto un'influenza, ma questa volta sento qualcosa di diverso.
Last year I had the flu, but this time I feel something different.
Literal The year past I have had a flu, but this time I feel something of different.
'L'anno scorso' = last year (elision of 'lo anno'). After 'qualcosa', Italian requires 'di' before an adjective — a fixed rule: qualcosa di + adjective.
- 'L'anno scorso' = last year; elision of lo + anno before a vowel
- 'qualcosa di + adjective' is a required structure in Italian
Per favore, si tolga la maglietta e respiri profondamente.
Please, take off your shirt and breathe deeply.
Literal Please, (formal you) remove the shirt and breathe deeply.
The doctor uses the formal polite imperative, which takes the third-person subjunctive form. 'Si tolga' is reflexive (togliersi = to take off one's clothing). 'Respiri' is the formal imperative of respirare.
- Formal imperative = Lei subjunctive: 'tolga' from togliere, 'respiri' from respirare
- 'si tolga' = reflexive formal imperative; the 'si' is the reflexive pronoun for Lei
Ha la gola molto arrossata e i linfonodi un po' gonfi.
Your throat is very red and your lymph nodes are a little swollen.
Literal Has the throat very reddened and the lymph nodes a little swollen.
When describing body parts in Italian, the definite article replaces the possessive pronoun. 'Ha la gola' means 'your throat is' in a medical context. 'Arrossata' is a past participle used as an adjective.
- Italian uses the definite article — not a possessive — with body parts: 'ha la gola' not 'ha la sua gola'
- 'arrossata' = feminine past participle of arrossire, functioning as an adjective
Potrebbe prescrivermi qualcosa per il dolore e per combattere l'infezione?
Could you prescribe me something for the pain and to fight the infection?
Literal Could prescribe to me something for the pain and to fight the infection?
'Potrebbe' is the conditional of potere and softens the request into a polite question. 'Prescrivermi' attaches the indirect object pronoun 'mi' to the infinitive — a standard construction in Italian.
- 'Potrebbe + infinitive' = conditional polite request: Could you...?
- 'prescrivermi' = prescrivere + mi (clitic pronoun attached to infinitive)
Le prescrivo un antibiotico e un antidolorifico da prendere due volte al giorno.
I'm prescribing you an antibiotic and a pain reliever to take twice a day.
Literal To you I prescribe an antibiotic and a pain reliever to take two times per day.
'Le' is the formal indirect object pronoun (to you, formal). 'Da prendere' uses 'da + infinitive' to express how something should be used — a very productive Italian structure.
- 'Le' = formal indirect object pronoun (Lei form) meaning 'to you'
- 'da + infinitive' = to be done / manner of use: 'da prendere' = to be taken
Se i sintomi non migliorano entro tre giorni, torni a trovarmi.
If the symptoms don't improve within three days, come back to see me.
Literal If the symptoms don't improve within three days, return to find me.
'Torni' is the formal imperative of tornare. 'Tornare a + infinitive' means to come back to do something. 'Entro' = within, used for deadlines and time limits.
- 'Torni' = formal imperative of tornare (Lei subjunctive form)
- 'entro + time' = within; used to set a time limit or deadline
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
appuntamento
appointment
Ho un appuntamento con il medico domani.
I have an appointment with the doctor tomorrow.
Used for medical, professional, and social appointments alike
febbre
fever
Ho la febbre a trentotto gradi.
I have a fever of thirty-eight degrees.
Always used with the definite article: 'avere la febbre'
gola
throat
Ho mal di gola da stamattina.
I have had a sore throat since this morning.
'Mal di gola' is the fixed phrase for sore throat
sintomo
symptom
Quali sintomi ha avuto?
What symptoms have you had?
Plural: sintomi; commonly used in plural by doctors
ricetta
prescription
Il medico mi ha dato una ricetta.
The doctor gave me a prescription.
Also means recipe in cooking — context makes it clear
antibiotico
antibiotic
Deve prendere l'antibiotico per una settimana.
You must take the antibiotic for one week.
Plural: antibiotici; requires a prescription in Italy
dolore
pain / ache
Sente un dolore forte al petto?
Do you feel a strong pain in the chest?
'Mi fa male' is more colloquial; 'dolore' is more clinical
diagnosi
diagnosis
La diagnosi è un'infezione batterica.
The diagnosis is a bacterial infection.
Invariable — same form in singular and plural
farmacia
pharmacy
Può ritirare la medicina in farmacia.
You can pick up the medicine at the pharmacy.
Italian farmacias display a green cross and stock both OTC and prescription drugs
infezione
infection
Ha un'infezione alla gola.
You have a throat infection.
Note the elision: un'infezione (una + infezione before a vowel)
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Marco entra nello studio medico con una sensazione di stanchezza e mal di testa. Alla reception, dice al personale che ha un appuntamento con la dottoressa Conti. Dopo pochi minuti, la dottoressa lo chiama e lui descrive i suoi sintomi: febbre leggera, mal di gola e dolore alla schiena da due giorni. La dottoressa lo visita con attenzione, gli chiede della sua storia medica e poi spiega la diagnosi. Alla fine, gli prescrive una ricetta per un antibiotico e gli dice di tornare se i sintomi non migliorano entro tre giorni.
Sentence by sentence
entra nello studio medico
enters the doctor's office
'Nello' = in + lo (the masculine definite article used before s + consonant). 'Studio medico' is the formal term for a doctor's practice or consulting room.
ha un appuntamento con la dottoressa
has an appointment with the (female) doctor
'Dottoressa' is the feminine form of 'dottore'. Italian professional titles have gender agreement — an important cultural and grammatical norm.
descrive i suoi sintomi
describes his symptoms
'I suoi' is the possessive adjective agreeing with the plural masculine noun 'sintomi'. Italian possessives agree with the noun they modify, not with the owner.
la dottoressa lo visita
the doctor examines him
'Visitare' in a medical context means to examine a patient. 'Lo' is the direct object pronoun replacing Marco.
gli prescrive una ricetta
prescribes him a prescription
'Gli' is the indirect object pronoun meaning 'to him'. It precedes the verb. 'Ricetta' here means medical prescription, not a cooking recipe.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
The Formal Imperative (Imperativo di cortesia con Lei)
In Italian, when a doctor or other authority figure gives polite instructions, they use the formal imperative. Unlike the informal imperative (tu), the formal version (Lei) uses the third-person subjunctive form. This is the register you will hear in clinics, pharmacies, and any formal service setting. Recognizing and responding to these commands is essential for medical situations.
Formal imperative = 3rd person subjunctive (Lei form) of the verb
Respiri profondamente.
Breathe deeply. (formal)
Si tolga la maglietta.
Take off your shirt. (formal, reflexive)
Apra la bocca.
Open your mouth. (formal)
Torni tra tre giorni.
Come back in three days. (formal)
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to Italian: 'Good morning, I have an appointment with Doctor Ferretti at ten.'
Hint Use 'ho' for 'I have' and 'dottor' before the surname.
The doctor uses the formal imperative: 'Si _____ la maglietta e _____ profondamente.' (take off / breathe)
Hint Both verbs use the Lei formal imperative. Think of '-are' verbs → '-i' and '-ere'/'-ire' verbs → '-a'.
Translate to English: 'Le prescrivo un antibiotico e un antidolorifico da prendere due volte al giorno.'
The doctor wants to tell the patient formally: 'Come back to see me in three days.' Which is correct?
Hint The formal imperative of 'tornare' is 'torni', not 'torna'.
Rewrite this informal sentence using the formal imperative (Lei): 'Dimmi se hai avuto problemi simili in passato.'
Hint Change 'dimmi' → 'mi dica' and 'hai' → 'ha'.
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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