The health centre is where good Finnish matters most and where you are most likely to be nervous. The good news is that the exchange is predictable: booking, one question about symptoms, an examination, a prescription. Prepare the sentences below and bring your Kela card.
Booking
Most health centres book by phone or through the Omaolo app. When you call, the nurse assesses urgency first.
| Haluaisin varata ajan lääkärille. | I would like to book an appointment with a doctor. "Haluaisin" (I would like) is the polite opener for every request. |
| Onko teillä aikoja tälle viikolle? | Do you have any appointments this week? |
| Milloin pääsen lääkäriin? | When can I see a doctor? |
| Minulla on aika kello kymmeneltä. | I have an appointment at ten. |
| Minun henkilötunnukseni on… | My personal identity code is… |
| En puhu hyvin suomea. Voimmeko puhua englantia? | I don't speak Finnish well. Can we speak English? |
| Tarvitsen tulkin. | I need an interpreter. |
Describing symptoms
Finnish puts the body part first: päätä särkee (head aches), vatsaan sattuu (into-stomach hurts). Learn the phrases whole.
| Mikä sinua vaivaa? | What's the matter? (what the nurse asks) |
| Minulla on kuumetta. | I have a fever. |
| Minulla on flunssa. | I have a cold / the flu. |
| Päätä särkee. | My head hurts. |
| Kurkku on kipeä. | My throat is sore. |
| Minulla on yskä. | I have a cough. |
| Vatsaan sattuu. | My stomach hurts. |
| Minua huimaa. | I feel dizzy. |
| Minua oksettaa. | I feel nauseous. |
| Olen väsynyt koko ajan. | I am tired all the time. |
| Se alkoi kolme päivää sitten. | It started three days ago. |
| Olen allerginen penisilliinille. | I am allergic to penicillin. |
| Olen raskaana. | I am pregnant. |
| Käytän tätä lääkettä. | I take this medication. |
At the pharmacy
Prescriptions are electronic. Say your name or show ID and the pharmacist finds it.
| Minulla on sähköinen resepti. | I have an electronic prescription. Show your Kela card or ID; the prescription is in the system. |
| Onko tähän jotain ilman reseptiä? | Is there something for this without a prescription? |
| Miten tätä otetaan? | How do I take this? |
| Kolme kertaa päivässä ruoan kanssa. | Three times a day with food. |
| Kelan korvaus | Kela reimbursement (deducted at the counter with your card) |
Sick leave
| Tarvitsen sairauslomatodistuksen. | I need a sick leave certificate. |
| Olen sairaana, en tule tänään töihin. | I am sick, I won't come to work today. Send this to your boss in the morning. Most workplaces allow a few days without a certificate. |
| Kuinka monta päivää sairauslomaa? | How many days of sick leave? |