A device for inhaling powdery substances, in particular of a medical nature, contained in capsules, can be brought into an emptying position via a receptacle that can be moved in a flat housing, in which position the capsule wall can be pierced via movable needles for the purpose of sucking out the capsule content through a mouthpiece channel, which extends in axial extension of the capsule chamber. The receptacle is designed as a part of the narrow lateral wall of the flat housing that can be pivoted out to a limited extent about an axis and a partial region of the narrow lateral wall plane is designed as a spring-loaded push-button for the needle bearings, in such a way that the partial region moves back to the plane of the narrow lateral wall at a maximum.