At the Doctor's Office
At the doctor's office · a free French immersion capsule
Useful sentences · 10
Phrases you'll actually use today. Tap Explain for the why behind each one.
J'ai mal à la gorge depuis trois jours.
I have had a sore throat for three days.
Literal I have pain at the throat since three days.
Use 'avoir mal à' to express where something hurts. 'Depuis' paired with the present tense describes a condition that started in the past and is still ongoing.
- 'Avoir mal à' = to have pain in/at a body part; the article after 'à' contracts (à + le = au, à + les = aux)
- 'Depuis' + present tense = an action or state that began in the past and continues now — English uses the perfect tense here
Pouvez-vous me dire où vous avez mal exactement ?
Can you tell me exactly where it hurts?
Literal Can you tell me where you have pain exactly?
A doctor's question using formal inversion ('pouvez-vous') and an embedded indirect question. This is the polite, professional register used in medical settings.
- Inversion question: verb moves before subject pronoun (pouvez-vous instead of vous pouvez)
- 'Où vous avez mal' is an indirect/embedded question — no inversion inside it
J'ai de la fièvre et je me sens très fatigué.
I have a fever and I feel very tired.
Literal I have some fever and I myself feel very tired.
'Avoir de la fièvre' is the standard French expression for having a fever. 'Se sentir' (to feel) is a reflexive verb conjugated with the reflexive pronoun 'me'.
- 'Avoir de la fièvre' uses the partitive article 'de la' — not 'une fièvre'
- 'Se sentir' is reflexive: je me sens, tu te sens, il/elle se sent
Est-ce que vous prenez des médicaments en ce moment ?
Are you taking any medications right now?
Literal Is it that you take some medications at this moment?
'Est-ce que' is the most natural spoken question formation — no word-order change is needed after it. 'En ce moment' specifies the present timeframe.
- 'Est-ce que' + normal statement word order = a yes/no question
- Present tense (vous prenez) indicates an ongoing or habitual action
Je suis allergique à la pénicilline.
I am allergic to penicillin.
Literal I am allergic to the penicillin.
A simple, high-stakes sentence using 'être + adjective'. Notice that French uses the definite article 'la' before the substance name, where English uses none.
- 'Être allergique à' = to be allergic to
- French uses the definite article before substance/medication names (la pénicilline, l'aspirine)
Avez-vous eu ce type de douleur auparavant ?
Have you had this type of pain before?
Literal Have you had this type of pain before/previously?
A passé composé question with inversion, used to ask about past medical history. 'Auparavant' is a formal adverb common in professional and medical contexts.
- Passé composé with inversion: auxiliary verb 'avoir' moves before subject (avez-vous eu)
- 'Auparavant' = before/previously — more formal than 'avant'
Il faut prendre ce médicament deux fois par jour.
You need to take this medication twice a day.
Literal It is necessary to take this medication two times per day.
'Il faut' + infinitive is an impersonal expression meaning 'it is necessary to' or 'one must.' It is widely used for medical instructions and general obligations.
- 'Il faut' + infinitive = one must / it is necessary to (impersonal, no subject needed)
- 'Fois' = time(s) used in frequency expressions: une fois, deux fois, trois fois par jour/semaine
Ouvrez la bouche et dites « aah », s'il vous plaît.
Open your mouth and say 'aah,' please.
Literal Open the mouth and say 'aah,' if it pleases you.
Both verbs are in the formal imperative (vous-form). In the imperative, the subject pronoun 'vous' is dropped and the verb stands alone.
- Formal imperative: drop 'vous' and use the verb directly — ouvrez (from ouvrir), dites (from dire, irregular)
- 'S'il vous plaît' = please (formal); informal equivalent is 's'il te plaît'
Je vais vous prescrire des antibiotiques.
I am going to prescribe you antibiotics.
Literal I go to you prescribe some antibiotics.
Near future (futur proche) is formed with conjugated 'aller' + infinitive. The indirect object pronoun 'vous' is placed before the infinitive 'prescrire'.
- Futur proche: aller (conjugated) + infinitive — je vais + prescrire
- Indirect object pronoun 'vous' placed before the infinitive in futur proche constructions
Prenez rendez-vous dans une semaine pour un contrôle.
Make an appointment in a week for a check-up.
Literal Take an appointment within a week for a check-up.
'Prendre rendez-vous' is a fixed expression meaning to make an appointment. 'Dans une semaine' means in a week from now (future), contrasting with 'depuis' (since/for ongoing duration).
- 'Prendre rendez-vous' = to make an appointment (fixed collocation; literally 'to take a meeting')
- 'Dans' + time period = in (from now); contrast with 'depuis' + present tense (for/since, ongoing)
New words · 10
Themed vocabulary, each with an example you can borrow.
la gorge
throat
J'ai mal à la gorge depuis ce matin.
I have had a sore throat since this morning.
Key body part for 'avoir mal à la gorge' (sore throat)
la fièvre
fever
Il a de la fièvre depuis hier soir.
He has had a fever since last night.
Always use 'avoir de la fièvre' — not 'avoir une fièvre'
le médicament
medication / medicine
Prenez ce médicament après les repas.
Take this medication after meals.
Plural: les médicaments; 'prendre un médicament' = to take a medicine
allergique
allergic
Je suis allergique aux arachides.
I am allergic to peanuts.
Always followed by 'à / au / aux'; does not change form for gender
la douleur
pain
La douleur est vive dans mon dos.
The pain is sharp in my back.
More clinical than 'le mal'; often used by medical professionals
prescrire
to prescribe
Le médecin va me prescrire un traitement.
The doctor is going to prescribe me a treatment.
Conjugated like 'écrire': je prescris, vous prescrivez, ils prescrivent
les antibiotiques
antibiotics
Il faut terminer tous les antibiotiques.
You must finish all the antibiotics.
Almost always plural in everyday use; masculine
le rendez-vous
appointment
J'ai un rendez-vous chez le médecin lundi.
I have a doctor's appointment on Monday.
'Prendre rendez-vous' = to make an appointment; same form in singular and plural
fatigué
tired
Je me sens très fatigué après cette semaine.
I feel very tired after this week.
Feminine form: fatiguée; used with 'se sentir fatigué(e)' or 'être fatigué(e)'
auparavant
before / previously
Avez-vous eu ce problème auparavant ?
Have you had this problem before?
Formal register; common in medical and professional contexts; synonym of 'avant'
Short reading
A tiny story stitched from today's words. Translation is hidden, tap to peek.
Claire arrive à la clinique un mardi matin et s'inscrit à l'accueil. Elle explique à l'infirmière qu'elle a mal à la gorge et qu'elle a de la fièvre depuis deux jours. Le médecin l'examine et lui pose des questions sur ses antécédents médicaux. Claire mentionne qu'elle est allergique à la pénicilline. Après l'examen, le médecin lui prescrit des antibiotiques adaptés et lui conseille de se reposer. Il lui demande de prendre rendez-vous la semaine suivante pour vérifier qu'elle va mieux.
Sentence by sentence
Claire arrive à la clinique un mardi matin et s'inscrit à l'accueil.
Claire arrives at the clinic on a Tuesday morning and checks in at reception.
Two present-tense verbs set the scene. 'S'inscrire à l'accueil' = to check in/register at reception; 's'inscrire' is reflexive.
Elle explique à l'infirmière qu'elle a mal à la gorge et qu'elle a de la fièvre depuis deux jours.
She explains to the nurse that she has a sore throat and has had a fever for two days.
Two 'avoir mal à' and 'avoir de la fièvre' expressions linked by 'et que'. 'Depuis' + present tense shows both symptoms are still ongoing.
Le médecin l'examine et lui pose des questions sur ses antécédents médicaux.
The doctor examines her and asks questions about her medical history.
'L'examine' uses direct object pronoun 'l'' (her). 'Lui pose' uses indirect object pronoun 'lui' (to her). 'Antécédents médicaux' = medical history.
Claire mentionne qu'elle est allergique à la pénicilline.
Claire mentions that she is allergic to penicillin.
'Être allergique à' + substance. Note the definite article 'la' before 'pénicilline' in French where English uses none.
Après l'examen, le médecin lui prescrit des antibiotiques adaptés et lui conseille de se reposer.
After the examination, the doctor prescribes her appropriate antibiotics and advises her to rest.
'Lui prescrit' and 'lui conseille' both use indirect object pronoun 'lui' (to her). 'Conseiller de + infinitive' = to advise to do something.
Il lui demande de prendre rendez-vous la semaine suivante pour vérifier qu'elle va mieux.
He asks her to make an appointment the following week to check that she is feeling better.
'Demander à quelqu'un de faire quelque chose' = to ask someone to do something. 'Aller mieux' = to be/feel better; here 'aller' functions as a full intransitive verb, not as the futur proche auxiliary. The futur proche requires aller + infinitive (e.g. 'elle va guérir'), whereas 'aller mieux' is a fixed expression meaning to be doing better.
Pattern of the day
One grammar move, explained once, that unlocks dozens of sentences.
Avoir mal à — Expressing Pain
To say something hurts or that you have pain in a body part, French uses 'avoir mal à' followed by the definite article and the body part. The preposition 'à' contracts with the definite article: à + le = au, à + les = aux, à + la = à la, à + l' = à l'. This structure replaces English phrases like 'my ___ hurts' or 'I have a sore ___'.
avoir mal + à la / au / à l' / aux + [body part]
J'ai mal à la gorge.
I have a sore throat. / My throat hurts.
Elle a mal au ventre.
She has a stomachache. / Her stomach hurts.
Il a mal aux pieds après la randonnée.
His feet hurt after the hike.
Avez-vous mal à la tête ?
Do you have a headache? / Does your head hurt?
Mini practice · 5
Low-pressure, never graded. Just enough to make it stick.
Translate to French: I have had a sore throat for three days.
Hint Use 'avoir mal à' to express where it hurts.
Je suis _____ à la pénicilline.
Hint Think about what you might tell a doctor about medications.
How often should you take the medicine according to the doctor?
Translate to English: Je vais vous prescrire des antibiotiques.
Hint Focus on the near future structure: je vais + infinitive.
Rewrite using 'avoir mal à': My head hurts. (Use the word: tête)
Hint Follow the pattern: J'ai mal à + [body part].
That’s today’s phraseberry.
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