B1-44 · Talk about the same doctor and the one who helps
The health system
Use derselbe, dieselbe, dasselbe and derjenige in every case to talk about health insurance, doctors and appointments.
About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions
01
The same: derselbe
Derselbe, dieselbe and dasselbe mean the same one. They are written as one word, and both parts change: the first part works like der, die, das, and selbe takes -e or -en like an adjective after der.
| Gender | nominative | accusative | dative |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | derselbe | denselben | demselben |
| feminine | dieselbe | dieselbe | derselben |
| neuter | dasselbe | dasselbe | demselben |
| plural | dieselben | dieselben | denselben |
Wir sind bei derselben Krankenkasse.
We are with the same health insurer.
Ich gehe seit Jahren zu demselben Hausarzt.
I have been going to the same family doctor for years.
Mein Mann und ich haben denselben Hausarzt.
My husband and I have the same family doctor.
Das ist dasselbe Formular wie letztes Jahr.
This is the same form as last year.
Only derselbe, dieselbe and dasselbe (nominative, and dieselbe, dasselbe in the accusative) end in -e. All other forms end in -en: denselben, demselben, derselben. Der Hausarzt is the family doctor.
02
The one who: derjenige
Derjenige, diejenige and dasjenige point to a person or thing that a relative clause then describes: derjenige, der zuerst kommt means the one who comes first. They take the same endings as derselbe.
Derjenige, der zuerst kommt, ist zuerst dran.
The one who comes first is seen first.
Diejenigen, die einen Termin haben, warten bitte hier.
Those who have an appointment, please wait here.
Ich suche diejenige Ärztin, die auch Türkisch spricht.
I'm looking for the doctor who also speaks Turkish.
Wir sprechen mit demjenigen, der die Termine vergibt.
We are speaking to the person who gives out the appointments.
The relative pronoun agrees with derjenige: Diejenigen, die einen Termin haben … The case of derjenige depends on its own clause, so after mit you need demjenigen.
03
At the practice
In Germany, health insurance is compulsory. Most people are insured with a statutory Krankenkasse, and some have private insurance. At the practice, you show your insurance card at reception.
Ist das dieselbe Praxis wie letztes Mal?
Is this the same practice as last time?
Die Ärztin hat mir dasselbe Medikament verschrieben.
The doctor prescribed me the same medicine.
In Deutschland braucht jeder eine Krankenversicherung.
In Germany, everyone needs health insurance.
Ich brauche eine Überweisung zum Facharzt.
I need a referral to a specialist.
Die Krankenkasse is the statutory health insurer, die Krankenversicherung health insurance in general, die Praxis a doctor's practice and die Überweisung a referral to a specialist, der Facharzt.
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