FSP medical terms: switching to patient German and back
Redaktion · 7 October 2026 · 3 min read
In short
In the Fachsprachprüfung you speak everyday German to the patient and medical German to the senior doctor. So you need every term in both directions: Dyspnoe is Atemnot, Obstipation is Verstopfung. Many chambers also test this in a vocabulary test, for example 12 terms in Niedersachsen and Sachsen, 15 in Hamburg and a 20-minute test in Hessen.
Where the switch happens in the exam
| Part | Direction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Patient interview | medical → lay: you ask and explain in everyday German | "Haben Sie Atemnot?" not "Haben Sie Dyspnoe?" |
| Documentation | lay → medical: you write down what the patient said | "Verstopfung seit drei Tagen" becomes "Obstipation seit 3 Tagen" |
| Doctor-to-doctor talk | lay → medical: you present the case | "Herzrasen" becomes "Tachykardie" |
| Vocabulary test | both directions, depending on the chamber | "Hepar" → "Leber", "Bluterguss" → "Hämatom" |
41 word pairs by specialty
| Specialty | Medical term → everyday German |
|---|---|
| Cardiology | Dyspnoe → Atemnot · Orthopnoe → Atemnot im Liegen · Tachykardie → Herzrasen · Hypertonie → Bluthochdruck · Herzinsuffizienz → Herzschwäche · Myokardinfarkt → Herzinfarkt · Ödem → Wassereinlagerung · Nykturie → nächtliches Wasserlassen · Diuretikum → Entwässerungsmittel |
| Pulmonology | Pneumonie → Lungenentzündung · Sputum → Auswurf · purulentes Sputum → eitriger Auswurf · Tachypnoe → beschleunigte Atmung · Belastungsdyspnoe → Atemnot bei Anstrengung · Pleuraerguss → Flüssigkeit im Rippenfellraum · Nikotinabusus → Rauchen |
| Gastroenterology and liver | Obstipation → Verstopfung · Diarrhö → Durchfall · Vomitus → Erbrechen · Flatulenz → Blähungen · Aszites → Wasser im Bauch · Cholelithiasis → Gallensteine · Ikterus → Gelbsucht · Cholestase → gestauter Gallenfluss |
| General | Febris → Fieber · Pruritus → Juckreiz · Vertigo → Schwindel · Epistaxis → Nasenbluten · Singultus → Schluckauf · Zyanose → Blaufärbung der Haut · Anämie → Blutarmut · Hämatom → Bluterguss |
| Anatomy, neurology, surgery | Hepar → Leber · Ren → Niere · Antebrachium → Unterarm · Apoplex → Schlaganfall · Fraktur → Knochenbruch · Diabetes mellitus → Zuckerkrankheit |
| Abbreviations and more | RR → Blutdruck (nach Riva-Rocci) · Z. n. → Zustand nach · Auskultation → Abhören |
The most common mix-ups
In practice the same neighbouring words trip people up. They look alike but mean different things:
- Tachykardie (racing heart) and Tachypnoe (fast breathing)
- Hypertonie (high blood pressure) and Hypotonie (low blood pressure)
- Dyspnoe (shortness of breath) and Orthopnoe (breathlessness lying down)
- Hämatom (bruise) and Hämaturie (blood in the urine)
- Anämie (anaemia) and Leukämie (leukaemia)
- Epistaxis (nosebleed) and Hämoptyse (coughing up blood)
- Nykturie (passing urine at night) and Polyurie (large urine volume)
How the chambers test vocabulary
Niedersachsen asks 12 terms in both directions, Sachsen 12 at the end of the doctor-to-doctor talk, Hamburg 15. Berlin gives points in the doctor-to-doctor talk for 5 medical terms plus abbreviations and lab values. Hessen starts with a separate 20-minute vocabulary test. The full overview: FSP exam in Germany: cost and format.
How to practise
- Learn by specialty, not alphabetically: heart, lungs, abdomen, general.
- Practise both directions. If you only know "Dyspnoe → Atemnot", you will hunt for the medical term in the doctor-to-doctor talk.
- Learn the patient question too: "Müssen Sie nachts zur Toilette?" for Nykturie.
- Practise against the clock, as in our medical term drill.
Using the terms in conversation: patient interview: common mistakes and doctor-to-doctor conversation.
Frequently asked questions
How many medical terms come up in the FSP?
It depends on the chamber: 12 in Niedersachsen and Sachsen, 15 in Hamburg, 5 plus abbreviations and lab values in Berlin, a separate 20-minute test in Hessen.
Do I need the terms in both directions?
Yes. In the patient interview you need the everyday word; in the letter and the doctor-to-doctor talk, the medical term. Niedersachsen explicitly tests both directions.
Is spelling marked?
You write in the vocabulary test and the documentation. Practise in writing so Pneumonie does not become Pneomonie.
Which terms are often confused?
Tachykardie and Tachypnoe, Hypertonie and Hypotonie, Dyspnoe and Orthopnoe, Hämatom and Hämaturie, Anämie and Leukämie.
Sources
- Ärztekammer Niedersachsen: FSP information sheet (PDF), checked 3 August 2026
- Sächsische Landesärztekammer: Fachsprachenprüfung, checked 5 August 2026
- Ärztekammer Hamburg: Fachsprachenprüfung, checked 5 August 2026
- Landesärztekammer Hessen: Fachsprach- und Kenntnisprüfungen, checked 7 October 2026
- Ärztekammer Berlin: marking sheet "Ärztliches Gespräch" (PDF), checked 5 August 2026
