Practice a French Doctor's Appointment
Visiting the doctor in French is high-stakes and high-value: getting your symptoms across precisely matters, and the medical vocabulary is mostly Latin-based across European languages. This scenario rehearses a general practitioner's appointment from check-in to prescription: describing symptoms with body parts and intensity, mentioning allergies and existing conditions, understanding the doctor's explanation, and reading a prescription. You'll practise the formal register doctors use, plus the verbs for pain, duration, and frequency. By the end, you'll handle a routine French-speaking appointment without needing a translator.
Sample French conversation
Bonjour ! Entrez et asseyez-vous. Qu'est-ce qui vous amène aujourd'hui ?
Hello! Please come in and take a seat. What brings you in today?Je ne me sens pas bien depuis quelques jours.
I haven't been feeling well for a few days.Je suis désolé d'entendre ça. Pouvez-vous me décrire vos symptômes ? Avez-vous des douleurs ?
I'm sorry to hear that. Can you describe your symptoms? Do you have any pain?J'ai de la fièvre, des courbatures et je suis épuisé.
I have a fever, body aches, and I feel exhausted.Laissez-moi prendre votre température... 38,5 degrés. Depuis combien de temps avez-vous de la fièvre ?
Let me take your temperature... 38.5 degrees. How long have you had the fever?Depuis environ deux jours. Ça empire la nuit.
About two days. It gets worse at night.
What you'll learn
- Check in at a French-speaking clinic
- Describe symptoms with body parts, duration, and intensity
- Mention allergies, medications, and chronic conditions
- Understand basic diagnosis and treatment instructions
- Read a French prescription and ask follow-up questions
Frequently asked questions
How do I describe pain levels in French?
Use the French equivalent of 'mild, moderate, severe', plus 'sharp', 'dull', 'stabbing'. The vocabulary list covers this nuanced spectrum.
Will my French-speaking doctor speak English?
Often yes in big cities, often no in smaller towns. Even when they do, knowing the basic French medical vocabulary helps you describe symptoms more accurately.
How do I ask about side effects of medication in French?
There's a specific construction — 'What are the side effects?' — that the scenario teaches. Pharmacists often answer this more thoroughly than doctors.
What's the French for 'I'm allergic to penicillin'?
A critical sentence to memorise. We include it verbatim in the vocabulary list and rehearse it in the scenario.