Schmerzmittel nehmen

To use this phrase, you need to conjugate the verb nehmen. Be careful! It is an irregular verb. For 'I take', you say ich nehme. For 'you take', it becomes du nimmst. If you are talking about a specific pill, you might say ein Schmerzmittel. If you are talking about the general act, you can just say Schmerzmittel nehmen. You usually place the medicine right after the verb in a simple sentence. For example: Ich nehme jetzt ein Schmerzmittel. If you are asking a question, the verb comes first: Nimmst du Schmerzmittel?

You will use this phrase whenever physical discomfort comes up. Imagine you are at work and your neck is stiff. You might tell a colleague, Ich muss ein Schmerzmittel nehmen. It is also the phrase you use at the Apotheke (pharmacy). You might ask the pharmacist, Wie oft soll ich das Schmerzmittel nehmen? It is perfectly fine for texting friends too. If a friend cancels plans because of a migraine, you can ask if they have taken anything yet. It is a helpful, caring phrase in social contexts.

Do not use this phrase for illegal substances. For that, Germans use Drogen nehmen. Also, avoid using it for vitamins or supplements. For those, you would say Vitamine nehmen or Ergänzungsmittel nehmen. If you are drinking a medicinal tea, use trinken instead of nehmen. Don't use nehmen for creams or ointments either. For those, you use auftragen (to apply) or einreiben (to rub in). Using nehmen specifically implies swallowing a pill or liquid medicine.

Germany has a unique relationship with medicine. You cannot buy painkillers in a supermarket or gas station. You must go to an Apotheke. These pharmacies have a big red 'A' sign outside. Germans often try herbal remedies first, like tea or rest. However, when the pain is too much, Schmerzmittel are the standard solution. There is a slight cultural pride in 'toughing it out', but nobody expects you to suffer. Just remember, the pharmacist will likely give you a long lecture on side effects!

You will often hear Schmerztabletten (pain tablets) instead of Schmerzmittel. It is a bit more specific. People also use brand names as verbs sometimes, like Ibu nehmen (taking Ibuprofen). If the pain is really bad, you might hear starke Schmerzmittel (strong painkillers). In casual speech, some might just say was gegen die Schmerzen nehmen (take something for the pain). All of these are common and will make you sound like a local.