How to talk with patients who don’t speak English

When to use an interpreter, and when a few phrases help

A qualified medical interpreter is the safest way to communicate when the stakes are high. Interpreters are trained to translate medical meaning accurately, keep what is said confidential, and stay neutral. Many hospitals and clinics offer interpreters in person, by phone or by video.

Use an interpreter for:

• Taking a full history or explaining a diagnosis
• Informed consent for procedures, treatment or research
• Discussing results, prognosis or difficult news
• Medication instructions and discharge plans
• Any time the patient seems confused, worried or unsure

A few phrases in the patient’s language can help with:

• Greeting the patient and introducing yourself
• Asking which language they prefer and offering an interpreter
• Simple questions and instructions during an exam, like “Where does it hurt?” or “Take a deep breath”
• Reassuring someone while you wait for the interpreter to join

Even a short phrase in someone’s own language can make a frightened patient feel seen. It doesn’t replace the interpreter. It makes the moments around the interpreter better.

8 tips for talking with patients across a language barrier

1. Ask which language they prefer. Don’t guess from a name or an accent. Record the answer so the next person knows.
2. Offer an interpreter early. It’s easier to set up before the conversation gets complicated than halfway through.
3. Talk to the patient, not the interpreter. Look at the patient and speak in the first person: “Where does it hurt?” rather than “Ask her where it hurts.”
4. Use short sentences, one idea at a time. Pause often. Avoid jargon, idioms and abbreviations.
5. Check understanding with teach-back. Ask the patient to explain the plan in their own words. A nod or a “yes” doesn’t always mean they understood.
6. Show, don’t just tell. Point, use diagrams, demonstrate, and write numbers down, such as doses, times and dates.
7. Be careful with family interpreters. Relatives may filter or soften what is said, and patients may hold back private details. Never ask a child to interpret clinical information.
8. Allow extra time. Conversations through an interpreter take longer. Planning for it keeps the patient from feeling rushed.

Essential medical phrases in 8 languages, with audio

These are short phrases for everyday clinical moments, taken from the BedsideLingo phrasebook. Tap ▷ to hear a recording. Pronunciation guides are shown for languages that don’t use the Latin alphabet.

English, French (Canada) and Egyptian Arabic have been reviewed with clinicians, though not yet in a clinical setting. The other languages are still in native-speaker review.

How to learn medical phrases that stick

Choose phrases you’ll actually use. A ward nurse, an emergency physician and an eye clinic need different words. Ten phrases you use every day beat a hundred you never practise.

Practise a little, often. A few minutes a day works better than one long session. Spaced repetition brings each phrase back just before you’re likely to forget it, so your time goes to the phrases that need it.

Listen before you speak. Pronunciation is what makes a phrase understood. Hearing a real speaker, and saying it out loud yourself, matters more than reading it.

Keep the phrases with you. Even well-practised phrases slip under pressure. Having them on your phone, searchable and playable, is a good backup.

That’s the idea behind BedsideLingo. You pick the phrases that matter for your work, practise them in short daily sessions, and keep them close at the bedside to read or play in the patient’s language.

Frequently asked questions