{"id":55630,"date":"2025-09-19T16:36:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-19T15:36:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/?p=55630"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:13:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T09:13:01","slug":"medical-terms-in-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/blog\/medical-terms-in-french\/","title":{"rendered":"Learn useful medical terms in French"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Knowing essential medical terms in French<\/strong> will help you communicate effectively with your doctor or at the pharmacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to describe your symptoms confidently is crucial, which is why we\u2019ve put together this guide to essential medical terms in French.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which doctor should I see for my symptoms in France?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For general health concerns, start with a m\u00e9decin g\u00e9n\u00e9raliste<\/strong> (general practitioner). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For specialised care, here are common specialists:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French<\/th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Dentiste<\/strong><\/td>Dentist<\/td><\/tr>
Dermatologue<\/strong><\/td>Dermatologist<\/td><\/tr>
Ophtalmologue<\/strong><\/td>Ophthalmologist<\/td><\/tr>
Cardiologue<\/strong><\/td>Cardiologist<\/td><\/tr>
Gastro-ent\u00e9rologue<\/strong><\/td>Gastroenterologist<\/td><\/tr>
Gyn\u00e9cologue<\/strong><\/td>Gynecologist<\/td><\/tr>
Psychiatre<\/strong><\/td>Psychiatrist<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How can I describe my symptoms in French?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Before examining you, doctors in France will typically ask about your condition: What is happening? How do you feel? Where does it hurt?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being able to describe your symptoms clearly is important. To do so, you can use the following simple terms to describe your symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French<\/th>English<\/th>Example Sentence<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Fi\u00e8vre<\/strong><\/td>Fever<\/td>J\u2019ai de la fi\u00e8vre<\/strong> depuis hier.
I have had a fever since yesterday.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Toux<\/strong><\/td>Cough<\/td>J\u2019ai une toux<\/strong> persistante.
I have a persistent cough.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Fatigue<\/strong><\/td>Fatigue<\/td>Je me sens tr\u00e8s fatigu\u00e9(e)<\/strong>.
I feel very tired.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Naus\u00e9e<\/strong><\/td>Nausea<\/td>J\u2019ai des naus\u00e9es<\/strong> depuis ce matin.
I\u2019ve been feeling nauseous since this morning.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Vertige<\/strong><\/td>Dizziness<\/td>J\u2019ai des vertiges<\/strong> quand je me l\u00e8ve.
I feel dizzy when I stand up.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"medical<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Or, you can simply describe how you feel and where it hurts by saying: “J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 [body part]”<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French<\/th>English<\/th>Example<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
La t\u00eate<\/strong><\/td>Head<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 la t\u00eate<\/strong> depuis ce matin.
I have had a headache since this morning.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
L’\u0153uil \/ Les yeux<\/strong><\/td>Eye<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 l\u2019\u0153il<\/strong> gauche.
My left eye hurts.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
L’oreille<\/strong><\/td>Ear<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 l\u2019oreille<\/strong> droite.
My right ear hurts.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
La bouche<\/strong><\/td>Mouth<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 la bouche<\/strong> quand je mange.
My mouth hurts when I eat.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Les dents<\/strong><\/td>Tooth<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 une dent<\/strong> depuis hier.
I have a toothache since yesterday.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
La gorge<\/strong><\/td>Throat<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 la gorge<\/strong> et je tousse beaucoup.
My throat hurts and I cough a lot.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
L’estomac<\/strong><\/td>Stomach<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 l\u2019estomac<\/strong> apr\u00e8s le repas.
My stomach hurts after the meal.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Le dos<\/strong><\/td>Back<\/td>J\u2019ai mal au dos<\/strong> depuis que j\u2019ai soulev\u00e9 cette bo\u00eete.
My back hurts since I lifted that box.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Les bras<\/strong><\/td>Arm<\/td>J\u2019ai mal au bras<\/strong> gauche.
My left arm hurts.<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Les jambes<\/strong><\/td>Leg<\/td>J\u2019ai mal \u00e0 la jambe<\/strong> droite quand je marche.
My right leg hurts when I walk.<\/em><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What to ask for at the pharmacy in France?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

For minor problems, you can get over-the-counter medicine at a pharmacy<\/a> in France. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are essential phrases and vocabulary to get the right medicine for your situation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French<\/th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Avez-vous quelque chose pour la douleur<\/strong> ?<\/td>Do you have something for pain<\/strong>?<\/td><\/tr>
Je cherche quelque chose pour une toux<\/strong>.<\/td>I\u2019m looking for something for a cough<\/strong>.<\/td><\/tr>
Puis-je avoir des pastilles pour la gorge<\/strong> ?<\/td>Can I have some throat<\/strong> lozenges?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"medical<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

To find a pharmacy close to you: https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/search\/pharmacy+near+me\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And for more practical tips, insights, and guides to everyday life as an international student in France, explore our Go! Go! France blog<\/a>!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Knowing essential medical terms in French will help you communicate effectively with your doctor or at the pharmacy. Being able to describe your symptoms confidently is crucial, which is why we\u2019ve put together this guide to essential medical terms in French. Which doctor should I see for my symptoms in France? For general health concerns, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":119,"featured_media":77419,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1639],"tags":[1493],"class_list":["post-55630","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-learn-french","tag-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55630","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/119"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":87666,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55630\/revisions\/87666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/77419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gogofrance.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}