What do you call an Examination or a Check-up in German?

It’s what doctors do with symptoms, what detectives do with evidence, and what committees do with scandals. In German, it’s called die Untersuchung. This is your German word of the day, and it’s useful whether you’re dealing with a medical issue or a mystery.

The noun Untersuchung means examination, investigation, or inquiry, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. From hospitals to crime scenes, it’s a word that carries seriousness, procedure, and thoroughness.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Untersuchung (still unsure about gender? Our super-useful, no-fluff video lesson will help you lock it in: Watch the 5-minute video lesson on German noun genders).

Pronunciation

Untersuchung is pronounced approximately [un-tuh-ZOO-khung], with short u in Un- and -ung.

• Un has a short u as in “put,”

• ter usually ends in a vowel-like sound, approximately “tuh,”

• such sounds like “zookh” - a long u, and after u the ch is the throaty Bach sound,

• ung has a short u as in “put” and ng as in ”sing,”

• Stress is on the third syllable: un-ter-SUCH-ung

It’s a formal word - fitting for serious, structured actions.

Example sentences:

Die Untersuchung hat noch keine Ergebnisse gebracht.The investigation hasn’t produced any results yet.

Ich habe morgen eine ärztliche Untersuchung.I have a medical examination tomorrow.

Nuance and usage tips

Untersuchung has two main uses:

1. Medical - a physical checkup, diagnostic procedure

   • Routineuntersuchung - routine check-up

   • Blutuntersuchung - blood test

2. Investigative or analytical - examining a situation, case, or object

   • Polizeiliche Untersuchung - police investigation; criminal investigations are also called Ermittlungen

   • wissenschaftliche Untersuchung - scientific analysis

You’ll hear common collocations like:

• eine Untersuchung durchführen - to carry out an investigation

• sich untersuchen lassen - to get checked out (by a doctor)

• die Untersuchung leiten - to lead the investigation

How does this word come up in real conversations?