Doctor’s Office

Chez le médecin
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Le cabinet médical

Whether you have a chronic illness or come down with a common cold, you might have to visit le médecin during your travels. Here’s some essential vocabulary for talking to doctors and getting the help you need.

at the doctor’s office chez le médecin *
appointment un rendez-vous
doctor un médecin
doctor’s office le cabinet médical
~ insurance card la carte vitale
nurse un infirmier
une infirmière
patient un patient
une patiente
specialist un/e spécialiste
waiting room la salle d’attente

* In French, it’s typical to use chez + job title to refer to some places of business – learn more.

 In both French and English, the most common verbs for talking about ailments are the most common verbs in the language, but être and avoir are not always equivalent to "to be" and "to have," respectively, when it comes to illness. This list is arranged alphabetically by ailment, but be sure to pay attention to the verb you need to use with each one.

Ailments Maladies
to beallergic to … * être allergique à … *
to havearthritis avoirde l’arthrite
to haveasthma être asthmatique
to becold avoir froid
to havea cold être enrhumé
to beconstipated être constipé
to havediabetes être diabétique
to havediarrhea avoirla diarrhée
to bedizzy avoir le vertige
to havean earache avoirmal à l’oreille **
to havea fever avoirde la fièvre
to havethe flu avoirla grippe
to havefrostbite avoirdes engelures
to havea hangover avoirla gueule de bois
to havehay fever avoirun rhume des foins
to havea headache   avoirmal à la tête **
to havea heart attack avoirune crise cardiaque, un infarctus
to haveheartburn avoirdes brûlures d’estomac
to havehemorrhoids (piles) avoirdes hémorroïdes
to havehigh blood pressure fairede l’hypertension
to behot avoir chaud
to beinfected êtreinfecté
to havean infection avoirune infection
to haveinsomnia être insomniaque
to bejet lagged être fatigué dû au décalage horaire
to havelow blood pressure fairede l’hypotension
to havemotion sickness avoirle mal des transports
to bepregnant être enceinte
to havea runny nose avoirle nez qui coule
to beseasick avoir le mal de mer
to besick être malade
to havesinusitis avoirde la sinusite
to havea stomachache avoirmal à l’estomac **
to havea stroke avoir une attaque
to besunburnt être brûlé par le soleil
to betired être fatigué
to havea toothache   avoirmal aux dents **
   
to need … avoir besoin …
 an inhaler  d’un inhalateur
 a prescription  d’une ordonnance
 stitches  de points de suture
 surgery  de chirurgie 
 treatment  de traitement
 an ultrasound  d’une échographie
 an x-ray  d’une radio
    
Verbs Verbes (click for conjugations)
to ache all over avoir mal partout
to bandage panser
to bleed saigner
to break (one’s arm, leg) se casser (le bras, la jambe)
to catch a cold s’enrhumer
to cough tousser
to faint s’évanouir
to feel sick se sentir malade
to recover guérir
to sneeze
  (response: bless you)		 éternuer
   (à tes souhaits / à vos souhaits)
to throw up vomir

* Allergic to something? See vocab for medicines and food.

** For other aches and pains, see French body parts.

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Chez le médecin

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