At the Pharmacy: Useful English Phrases and Vocabulary
Learn English for asking for medicine and talking to a pharmacist. This free A1 lesson for adult beginners builds on the health vocabulary from the previous lesson. Its 11 interactive slides include a pharmacy conversation video, vocabulary audio, listening practice, sentence-building tasks, a short reading, and a five-sentence writing activity.
What you will learn
- Ask for medicine at a pharmacy.
- Describe common symptoms in short sentences.
- Recognize English words used in medicine instructions.
- Ask about frequency, duration, and price.
- Practice a conversation between a customer and a pharmacist.
Reviewing symptoms in English
Start with the warm-up pictures. Name each problem and put the word into a sentence. The lesson reviews an earache, a cold, the flu, a headache, a fever, a cough, and a toothache. It also introduces feeling dizzy.
Use I have ... with a symptom noun: I have a cough. Use I feel ... with an adjective: I feel dizzy. To begin a conversation, you can say I am not feeling well. Practice adding a second symptom: I have a cough and a sore throat.
Pharmacy vocabulary in English
Listen to the vocabulary cards and repeat each word. Group the words by people, medicine types, and instructions to help you remember them.
| Word or phrase | Meaning in this lesson |
|---|---|
| Customer | A person buying something at the pharmacy. |
| Pharmacist | The professional you speak to about medicines at a pharmacy. |
| Prescription | A doctor's written instructions for medicine. |
| Over-the-counter medicine | A term for medicine available without a prescription. |
| Cough syrup | The name of a liquid medicine mentioned in the video. |
| Lozenge | A small tablet that dissolves in the mouth. |
| Tablet | A form of medicine mentioned in the listening and reading tasks. |
| Dosage | The amount of medicine specified in instructions. |
| Teaspoon | A word for a small spoon or a quantity mentioned in the dialogue. |
| Drowsiness | Feeling sleepy. |
| Dizziness | A feeling of being unsteady or of things spinning. |
The vocabulary cards also include antibiotic and painkiller. Practice recognizing these medicine names in English. Notice the packaging phrases from the video: a bottle of syrup, a pack of lozenges, and tissues.
Asking for medicine and explaining what you need
Practice the sentence pattern I need something for ... Add a symptom to complete it: I need something for a sore throat. You can also say I need some medicine.
In the video, a customer explains that they have a cough and a sore throat. Listen for the greeting, the symptoms, the items requested, and the final price. Then answer the multiple-choice questions to check what you heard.
Questions about medicine instructions
The lesson helps you recognize questions used to ask a pharmacist for an explanation:
- How often do I have to take it?
- For how long should I take it?
- Do I take this with water?
- Do I take this with food?
- How many times do I need to take this?
How often asks about frequency. For how long asks about duration. As English expressions, once a day means one time each day, twice a day means two times each day, and three times a day means three times each day. After meals describes when an action happens. Listen for these expressions in the lesson dialogues.
Practice checking your understanding with Could you repeat that, please? or Is that correct? Repeat the key words slowly before trying the complete question.
Asking about price
Use How much is it? to ask for a price. The pharmacist can answer with That will be ... and an amount. In the lesson video, the total is eighteen dollars. Practice saying the amount clearly and closing the conversation with Thank you.
The useful phrases also include I hope you feel better soon. This is a friendly way to end a conversation with someone who feels unwell.
A short pharmacy conversation for English practice
Pharmacist: Good morning. How can I help you?
Customer: I am not feeling well. I have a sore throat.
Pharmacist: What do you need?
Customer: I need some medicine. Could you explain the instructions, please?
Pharmacist: Of course. Do you have any questions?
Customer: Yes. How much is it?
Pharmacist: That will be ten dollars.
Customer: Thank you.
This model conversation is a language role-play. Take turns as customer and pharmacist, then change the symptom and example price.
Listening, sentence building, and reading practice
Listen to the conversation with Mrs. Park and complete the missing words. The word bank includes medicine, take, times, cause, mix, allergies, correct, sure, and wait. Replay the audio and repeat short sections with the speakers.
Next, rearrange the words to build four useful questions and statements. Read the short story about Ahmed visiting a pharmacy. Answer questions about why he goes there, his symptoms, the items he receives, the instructions in the story, and the price.
Writing practice: five sentences
Use the prompts I have ..., I need ..., The pharmacist gave me ..., It costs ..., and I take it ... to write five sentences about an example pharmacy visit.
Model answer: I have a sore throat. I need some medicine. The pharmacist gave me a bottle of syrup. It costs ten dollars. I take it according to the instructions.
Teachers can model the questions before learners practice in pairs. For self-study, repeat the vocabulary audio, complete the interactive tasks, and finish by saying one new word or phrase aloud.
Review body parts and symptom phrases in Lesson 16, or explore more free A1 English teaching materials.