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Lesson 109 of 240

New here? This is lesson 109 of a free 240-lesson French course.

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The doctor's questions in French

Sam has a cold that will not quit, so he climbs the stairs above the pharmacy to see Dr. Roche.

She is calm and dry, and she asks him to rate the pain.

You will answer on a scale, name an allergy, say a medicine did not help, and ask about tests, a follow-up, and whether it spreads.

Keep vous with the doctor. She is not a café regular.

By the end of this lesson

Answer the doctor about pain, allergies, and what to do next.

  • Sur une échelle de 1 à 10, je dirais ___.On a scale of one to ten, I'd say ___.
  • Je suis allergique à ___.I'm allergic to ___.
  • J'ai pris un médicament, mais ça n'a pas aidé.I took some medicine, but it didn't help.
  • Est-ce que je dois faire des examens ?Do I need any tests?
  • Je dois revenir quand ?When should I come back?
  • Est-ce que c'est contagieux ?Is it contagious?

Scene — above the pharmacy

The green cross is downstairs. Sam climbs to Dr. Roche's practice, a quiet room with a white coat on a chair and a stethoscope on the desk.

She looks at him over her round glasses and waits for the first number.

Sam steps through the doorway into the quiet upstairs practice while Dr. Roche waits at the desk and points to the chair.

Learn — pain, allergies, next steps

Six lines for the exam room: a pain score, an allergy, and a medicine that did not help.

Then you ask about tests, when to come back, and whether it is catching.

  1. From above, Sam sits in the patient's chair with one palm on one side while Dr. Roche watches from across the desk.

    Sur une échelle de 1 à 10, je dirais ___.

    On a scale of one to ten, I'd say ___.

    When to use it: Say this when a doctor asks you to rate the pain.

    Put a number from one to ten in the blank.

    Say it: The ch in échelle sounds like 'sh'.

  2. Sam leans over the clinic desk and points at the inside of one wrist.

    Je suis allergique à ___.

    I'm allergic to ___.

    When to use it: Name the thing you cannot take when the doctor asks about allergies.

    Keep à before the thing you react to.

    Say it: The last e in allergique is silent.

  3. Beside the window, Sam sits back from an unmarked medicine box with both palms open while Dr. Roche stays at the desk.

    J'ai pris un médicament, mais ça n'a pas aidé.

    I took some medicine, but it didn't help.

    When to use it: Tell the doctor a medicine did not work.

    Keep the ne in n'a pas in this line.

    Say it: n'a drops the e of ne before a.

  4. From low on the floor, Sam leans far forward over the desk toward Dr. Roche with both hands flat.

    Est-ce que je dois faire des examens ?

    Do I need any tests?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to know if you need tests.

    Est-ce que turns this into a yes or no question.

    Say it: The t in Est is silent in Est-ce.

  5. Over Dr. Roche's shoulder, Sam sits upright and turns toward an unmarked open book on the desk.

    Je dois revenir quand ?

    When should I come back?

    When to use it: Ask this to find out when to come back.

    Quand stays at the end in this short question.

    Say it: The d in quand is silent.

  6. In profile, Sam eases the chair back from the desk with one hand near the throat.

    Est-ce que c'est contagieux ?

    Is it contagious?

    When to use it: Ask this if you worry that other people might catch it.

    Use this about the illness, not about a person.

    Say it: The final x in contagieux is silent.

Story — she asks for a number

Sam sits with Dr. Roche above the pharmacy. She asks about the pain, then about allergies and next steps.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Dr. Roche closes the door and points to the chair.
  2. Dr. RocheAsseyez-vous.Please sit down.
  3. SamBonjour madame.Hello, ma'am.
  4. Dr. RocheBonjour. Sur une échelle de 1 à 10 ?Hello. On a scale of one to ten?
  5. SamSur une échelle de 1 à 10, je dirais sept.On a scale of one to ten, I'd say seven.
  6. She nods once and writes in the file.
  7. Dr. RocheVous avez pris un médicament ?Have you taken any medicine?
  8. SamJ'ai pris un médicament, mais ça n'a pas aidé.I took some medicine, but it didn't help.
  9. Dr. RocheVous avez des allergies ?Do you have any allergies?
  10. SamJe suis allergique à la pénicilline.I'm allergic to penicillin.
  11. Dr. RocheJe note.I'm writing that down.
  12. SamEst-ce que je dois faire des examens ?Do I need any tests?
  13. Dr. RocheOui, je vous ai pris rendez-vous pour des examens demain.Yes, I've booked you tests for tomorrow.
  14. SamJe dois revenir quand ?When should I come back?
  15. Dr. RocheLa semaine prochaine.Next week.
  16. SamEst-ce que c'est contagieux ?Is it contagious?
  17. Dr. RocheOui, c'est contagieux.Yes, it is contagious.
  18. She stands and holds the door open.
  19. SamMerci beaucoup.Thank you very much.

Practice — rate it and ask back

Eleven short drills keep you in the exam room. You will listen, fill a gap, swap a word, and build a question.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    Est-ce que je dois faire des examens ?Drop the English here
    Je dois revenir quand ?Drop the English here
    Est-ce que c'est contagieux ?Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    Dr. Roche asks you to rate the pain from one to ten.

  4. Fill the gap

    I took some medicine, but it didn't help.

    J'ai pris un ____, mais ça n'a pas aidé.

  5. What does it mean?

    Est-ce que c'est contagieux ?

  6. Swap the word

    The visit is ending. Ask when you should come back.

    Je dois revenir ____ ?

  7. Pick the reply

    Dr. Roche says:

    Vous avez des allergies ?

    Do you have any allergies?

    And you reply with:

  8. Build the line

    Do I need any tests?

    -  ?

    Tap the words in order.

  9. Find the mistake

  10. What do you say?

    You walk into Dr. Roche's office. Greet her politely.

  11. True or false?

    You say this to thank someone a lot.

Say it — tell the doctor

Now you are Sam in Dr. Roche's office. When it is your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear it. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Dr. RocheBonjour. Sur une échelle de 1 à 10 ?Hello. On a scale of one to ten?
  2. Sam (you)Give a number from one to ten. You mean seven.

    Sur une échelle de 1 à 10, je dirais ___.

    On a scale of one to ten, I'd say ___.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Sur une échelle de 1 à 10, je dirais ___.On a scale of one to ten, I'd say ___.
Je suis allergique à ___.I'm allergic to ___.
J'ai pris un médicament, mais ça n'a pas aidé.I took some medicine, but it didn't help.
Est-ce que je dois faire des examens ?Do I need any tests?
Je dois revenir quand ?When should I come back?
Est-ce que c'est contagieux ?Is it contagious?
Next: lesson 110At the pharmacy

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these doctor questions handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps the exam-room lines ready.

Open Yak Cards