Whether you're at a pharmacy, filling out a form at the doctor’s office, or just talking about staying healthy, you’ll need to know how to say medicine in German. It’s one of those practical words that belongs in every learner’s vocabulary.
The word is das Medikament. It’s neuter, and the plural is die Medikamente. If you're not sure when to use das, die, or der, my gender video lesson can help you get it straight in just a few minutes.
Medikament is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German, and it appears in real-world conversations from doctor visits to everyday chats about health.
Examples in all four cases:
Nominative:
Das Medikament wirkt schnell.
The medicine works quickly.
Accusative:
Ich nehme ein Medikament gegen Kopfschmerzen.
I'm taking a medicine for headaches.
Dative:
Sie hilft mir mit dem Medikament.
She helps me with the medicine.
Genitive:
Die Wirkung des Medikaments war überraschend.
The effect of the medicine was surprising.
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Where you’ll hear Medikament:
ein rezeptfreies Medikament – an over-the-counter medicine
verschreibungspflichtiges Medikament – prescription-only medicine
Medikament gegen Fieber – medicine for fever
Medikamenteneinnahme – taking medication
Nebenwirkungen des Medikaments – side effects of the medicine
Common verbs: nehmen (take), verschreiben (prescribe), wirken (work/effect), einnehmen (ingest), vertragen (tolerate)
Adjectives: stark, wirksam (effective), natürlich, chemisch, rezeptpflichtig
Tip: In everyday German, people also say Medizin informally — but Medikament is the precise word for a specific drug or dosage.
Beginner dialogue using Medikament:
A: Hast du etwas gegen Erkältung?
B: Ja, ich habe ein gutes Medikament aus der Apotheke.
A: Do you have something for a cold?
B: Yes, I have a good medicine from the pharmacy.
Now it’s your turn. Think of your answer and say it aloud using Medikament.
“Welches Medikament hast du das letzte Mal genommen — und warum?”
What medicine did you take last — and why?
Say your answer out loud. Putting words like Medikament into personal context helps make them memorable.
German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say medicine in German — and how das Medikament lets you talk about health, treatment, and recovery with accuracy.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep building your everyday vocabulary for real-world situations.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Markt — and learn how to shop, bargain, and navigate markets in German.
Or revisit Meister — to talk about skill, victory, and qualifications like a native.