You are standing in a French consultation room and your patient is describing their symptoms faster than you can process. You understand about 70% of it — but that 30% is exactly what you need. These 50 expressions are the ones that come up daily in French clinical settings, organised by situation so you can find what you need fast.
Opening the Consultation
First contact sets the tone for the entire encounter. French patients expect a degree of formality — always use vous unless the patient specifically invites otherwise.
- Qu’est-ce qui vous amène aujourd’hui ? — What brings you in today?
- Depuis quand avez-vous ces symptômes ? — How long have you had these symptoms?
- Pouvez-vous me décrire la douleur ? — Can you describe the pain?
- Est-ce que c’est la première fois que vous ressentez ça ? — Is this the first time you’ve felt this?
- Avez-vous consulté un autre médecin pour ce problème ? — Have you seen another doctor for this?
- Avez-vous un médecin traitant ? — Do you have a GP (primary care doctor)?
If the patient is new, you may also need to collect administrative information: Avez-vous votre carte Vitale ? (Do you have your health insurance card?) is almost always the first question at the accueil (reception desk).
Describing and Locating Pain
Pain assessment in French medicine often uses the EVA scale (échelle visuelle analogique): Sur une échelle de 0 à 10, quelle est l’intensité de votre douleur ? (On a scale of 0 to 10, how intense is your pain?). Beyond the scale, you need vocabulary to describe its character.
- Où avez-vous mal exactement ? — Where exactly does it hurt?
- La douleur irradie-t-elle ? — Does the pain radiate?
- Est-ce une douleur continue ou par crises ? — Is it a constant pain or does it come in episodes?
- La douleur est-elle pulsatile / lancinante / en étau ? — Is the pain throbbing / stabbing / like a vice?
- La douleur s’aggrave-t-elle à l’effort ? — Does the pain get worse with exertion?
- Qu’est-ce qui soulage la douleur ? — What relieves the pain?
For a full vocabulary reference covering injury and symptom words, see our guide to pain, symptoms, and injuries in French.
Taking the Patient’s History
The anamnèse (patient history) follows a recognisable structure in French medicine. These expressions help you navigate it efficiently.
- Avez-vous des antécédents médicaux ? — Do you have any medical history? (equivalent to “past medical history”)
- Avez-vous subi des opérations ? — Have you had any operations?
- Avez-vous des antécédents familiaux de cette maladie ? — Do you have a family history of this condition?
- Prenez-vous des médicaments actuellement ? — Are you currently taking any medication?
- Avez-vous des allergies médicamenteuses ? — Do you have any drug allergies?
- Fumez-vous ? Consommez-vous de l’alcool ? — Do you smoke? Do you drink alcohol?
- Êtes-vous à jour de vos vaccins ? — Are your vaccinations up to date?
For a complete walkthrough of structuring a full history in French, see how to take a patient’s history in French.
Women’s and reproductive health
- Êtes-vous enceinte ou pourriez-vous l’être ? — Are you pregnant or could you be?
- Quelle est la date de vos dernières règles ? — When was your last period?
- Utilisez-vous un moyen de contraception ? — Are you using contraception?
The Physical Examination
Patients need clear instructions during the physical exam. Short, direct commands work best.
- Je vais vous examiner. — I am going to examine you.
- Pouvez-vous enlever votre chemise / votre haut ? — Can you take off your shirt / top?
- Allongez-vous, s’il vous plaît. — Please lie down.
- Respirez profondément et expirez lentement. — Breathe in deeply and exhale slowly.
- Dites-moi si vous avez mal quand j’appuie ici. — Tell me if it hurts when I press here.
- Pouvez-vous tourner la tête à gauche / à droite ? — Can you turn your head to the left / right?
- Serrez ma main. — Squeeze my hand.
- Je vais prendre votre tension. — I’m going to take your blood pressure.
- Je vais vous ausculter. — I’m going to listen to your chest (auscultate you).
Explaining a Diagnosis
Breaking news clearly and compassionately is essential. French patients generally expect detailed explanations — they tend to ask many questions and appreciate a doctor who takes the time to explain.
- D’après les examens, il s’agit de… — Based on the tests, this appears to be…
- Je pense que vous souffrez de… — I think you are suffering from…
- Ce n’est pas grave, mais il faut traiter ça rapidement. — It’s not serious, but it needs to be treated quickly.
- Il faut faire des examens complémentaires. — We need to run further tests.
- Je vais vous orienter vers un spécialiste. — I’m going to refer you to a specialist.
- Est-ce que vous comprenez ce que je vous explique ? — Do you understand what I’m explaining?
- Avez-vous des questions ? — Do you have any questions?
Prescribing Medication and Giving Instructions
The French prescription system (l’ordonnance) is highly formalised. These phrases cover the conversation around prescribing. For deeper vocabulary on this topic, read our article on talking about medication and treatments in French.
- Je vais vous prescrire… — I’m going to prescribe you…
- Prenez un comprimé trois fois par jour pendant dix jours. — Take one tablet three times a day for ten days.
- À prendre à jeun / avec de la nourriture. — To be taken on an empty stomach / with food.
- Ne dépassez pas la dose recommandée. — Do not exceed the recommended dose.
- Évitez l’alcool pendant le traitement. — Avoid alcohol during the treatment.
- Si les symptômes persistent, revenez me voir. — If symptoms persist, come back to see me.
- Je vous prescris un arrêt de travail de trois jours. — I’m prescribing you three days of sick leave.
Emergency and Urgent Situations
In emergencies, clarity and speed are everything. These phrases are non-negotiable for anyone working in an emergency department (les urgences). For a focused list, see our article on emergency French phrases for urgent cases.
- Appelez le SAMU ! / Appelez le 15 ! — Call the emergency medical services!
- Il / Elle ne respire plus. — He / She is not breathing.
- Il / Elle a perdu connaissance. — He / She has lost consciousness.
- Avez-vous des douleurs dans la poitrine ? — Do you have chest pain?
- Depuis combien de temps êtes-vous comme ça ? — How long have you been like this?
- Y a-t-il des témoins de l’accident ? — Were there any witnesses to the accident?
Communicating with Colleagues
The register shifts entirely when you speak with other healthcare professionals. The shorthand is dense, passive constructions are common, and speed matters. These are phrases heard on ward rounds and in handover meetings.
- Le patient est admis pour bilan d’une douleur thoracique. — The patient is admitted for investigation of chest pain.
- On suspecte un IDM. — We suspect a myocardial infarction (heart attack).
- On attend les résultats du labo. — We’re waiting for the lab results.
- Il est stable pour l’instant. — He is stable for now.
- Il faut contacter la famille. — We need to contact the family.
- Je transmets le dossier à la prochaine équipe. — I’m handing the file over to the next team.
Medical abbreviations play a large role in French clinical notes. If you are reading or writing patient records, our guide to French medical abbreviations will save you considerable time.
Administrative and System Vocabulary
Navigating the French healthcare system requires a different vocabulary from clinical practice. These terms come up constantly.
- la Sécurité Sociale — France’s national health insurance system
- la mutuelle — complementary private health insurance that covers what Social Security does not
- le médecin traitant — the designated primary care doctor, essential for reimbursement
- l’ordonnance — the prescription (a formal, handwritten or printed document)
- le tiers payant — a system where the patient does not pay upfront; the pharmacy bills the insurer directly
- une consultation de ville — an outpatient GP consultation (as opposed to hospital)
- une hospitalisation programmée / en urgence — a planned / emergency hospitalisation
For a broader overview of how these systems work in practice, see our article on French hospital culture: what to expect.
How to Use These 50 Expressions Effectively
Passive recognition is not enough in a clinical environment. The best approach is to group these expressions by the situations you encounter most often in your own practice, then drill the ones that catch you off guard most frequently. If you work in an emergency department, master sections 7 and 8 first. If you do outpatient consultations, prioritise sections 1 through 3.
Consider keeping a small reference card for the expressions you consistently blank on — muscle memory under pressure is built through deliberate, repeated practice, not just reading.
Next step: Work through the related articles in this cluster to build a complete picture of clinical French — from communicating clearly with French patients to reading and writing medical documentation.