At the Pharmacy
Use these practical phrases to explain your symptoms, find painkillers, and pick up prescriptions at a Norwegian pharmacy.
Key Phrases
Har dere noe bra mot hodepine?
casualDo you have anything good for a headache?
Use 'mot' (against) instead of 'for' when talking about symptom relief in Norwegian.
Jeg trenger noe medisin mot hodepine.
neutralI need some medicine for a headache.
A direct and standard way to ask the pharmacist for recommendations.
Jeg er veldig forkjølet i dag.
neutralI have a very bad cold today.
Literally 'I am very cold-ed'. Use this standard phrase to explain your symptoms.
Jeg har skikkelig vondt i magen.
casualI have a really bad stomach ache.
Literally 'I have pain in the stomach' — 'skikkelig' means 'really' in casual speech.
Unnskyld, hvor er smertestillende tabletter?
casualExcuse me, where are the painkilling tablets?
A quick and casual way to ask staff in the aisles for painkillers.
Hvor har dere smertestillende tabletter for voksne?
neutralWhere do you have painkilling tablets for adults?
A descriptive and standard way to ask for over-the-counter pain medicine.
Jeg har en e-resept fra legen min.
neutralI have an e-prescription from my doctor.
Almost all prescriptions in Norway are electronic (e-resept), linked directly to your ID.
Her er legitimasjonen min for resepten.
neutralHere is my ID for the prescription.
The pharmacist needs to scan your ID card to find your digital prescription.
Hvor mange tabletter tar jeg hver dag?
neutralHow many tablets do I take every day?
Notice we use the present tense 'tar' (take) instead of the future tense for instructions.
Hvor ofte tar jeg denne medisinen?
neutralHow often do I take this medicine?
Essential for knowing the exact timing of your medication.