Vocabulary Lesson

French Health Vocabulary

In this short lesson, you'll master essential health vocabulary in French. After learning the words, use the flashcards or quiz to reinforce your knowledge.

A1-C1 Audio Included Quiz Flashcards
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French Health Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

  • hospital l'hôpital
  • health la santé
  • nurse l'infirmier/l'infirmière
  • ear l'oreille
  • eye l'œil
  • tooth la dent
  • stomach l'estomac
  • pain la douleur
  • throat la gorge
  • skin la peau
  • pharmacy la pharmacie
  • cough la toux
  • heart le cœur
  • dentist le dentiste/la dentiste
  • headache le mal de tête
  • doctor le médecin/la médecin
  • nose le nez
  • cold (illness) le rhume
  • sleep le sommeil

Elementary (A2)

  • ambulance l'ambulance
  • bone l'os
  • emergency l'urgence
  • injury la blessure
  • clinic la clinique
  • fatigue la fatigue
  • fever la fièvre
  • flu la grippe
  • pregnancy la grossesse
  • disease la maladie
  • pill la pilule
  • brain le cerveau
  • toothache le mal de dents
  • medication le médicament
  • bandage le pansement
  • patient le patient/la patiente
  • blood le sang
  • stress le stress

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

  • childbirth l'accouchement
  • needle l'aiguille
  • allergy l'allergie
  • anxiety l'anxiété
  • asthma l'asthme
  • infection l'infection
  • operation l'opération
  • prescription l'ordonnance
  • dose la dose
  • depression la dépression
  • fitness la forme physique
  • wound la plaie
  • prevention la prévention
  • midwife le maïeuticien / la maïeuticienne
  • check-up le bilan de santé
  • cancer le cancer
  • wheelchair le fauteuil roulant
  • liver le foie
  • muscle le muscle
  • lung le poumon
  • diet le régime
  • symptom le symptôme
  • treatment le traitement
  • vaccine le vaccin
  • virus le virus
  • wheelchair access l'accès pour fauteuil roulant
  • arthritis l'arthrite
  • side effect l'effet secondaire
  • hypertension l'hypertension
  • heart attack l'infarctus
  • obesity l'obésité
  • hearing l'ouïe
  • epidemic l'épidémie
  • bacteria la bactérie
  • surgery la chirurgie
  • recovery la convalescence
  • nutrition la nutrition
  • pandemic la pandémie
  • x-ray la radiographie
  • rehabilitation la rééducation
  • mental health la santé mentale
  • syringe la seringue
  • blood pressure la tension artérielle
  • therapy la thérapie
  • vision la vision
  • wellness le bien-être
  • stretcher le brancard
  • cholesterol le cholestérol
  • diabetes le diabète
  • diagnosis le diagnostic
  • paramedic le paramédical/la paramédicale
  • kidney le rein
  • scan le scanner
  • immune system le système immunitaire
  • stroke l'accident vasculaire cérébral

Practice What You've Learned

Review your French health vocabulary and test your knowledge with interactive practice.

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Put your new health vocabulary into practice and see how many words you can remember.

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Practice with flashcards

Review French health vocabulary and strengthen your memory with interactive flashcards.

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Essential French vocabulary for describing symptoms, body parts, and basic healthcare situations.

  • Le médecin examine le patient. The doctor examines the patient.
  • Elle prend un médicament pour sa fièvre. She takes medicine for her fever.
  • Vous devez dormir huit heures par nuit. You need to sleep eight hours a night.
  • Le dentiste soigne ma dent malade. The dentist treats my sick tooth.
  • Il tousse beaucoup depuis ce matin. He has been coughing a lot since this morning.
  • Mon père est très fatigué après le travail. My father is very tired after work.
  • Elle a une douleur aiguë au bras. She has a sharp pain in her arm.
  • Ce médicament est très efficace contre le rhume. This medicine is very effective against a cold.
  • Sa peau est très sensible au soleil. Her skin is very sensitive to the sun.
  • Il est malade depuis trois jours. He has been sick for three days.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex health topics including treatments, medical procedures, and wellbeing.

  • Le chirurgien va opérer la semaine prochaine. The surgeon will operate next week.
  • Le vaccin protège contre ce virus grave. The vaccine protects against this serious virus.
  • Le médecin prescrit des antibiotiques pour l'infection. The doctor prescribes antibiotics for the infection.
  • L'infirmière mesure la tension artérielle du patient. The nurse measures the patient's blood pressure.
  • Pour éviter les maladies, il faut bien manger. To avoid illnesses, one must eat well.
  • Cette maladie infectieuse est très contagieuse. This infectious disease is very contagious.
  • Le patient suit un traitement médical rigoureux. The patient is following a strict medical treatment.
  • Une activité physique régulière améliore le bien-être. Regular physical activity improves well-being.
  • Il souffre d'une maladie chronique du foie. He suffers from a chronic liver condition.
  • Son système immunitaire est particulièrement faible. His immune system is particularly weak.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about health vocabulary and medical expressions in French.

The standard expression for explaining pain is avoir mal à followed by the body part with its appropriate article.

  • J'ai mal à la tête – I have a headache.
  • J'ai mal au ventre / à l'estomac – I have a stomachache.
  • J'ai mal aux dents – I have a toothache.
  • J'ai mal à la gorge – I have a sore throat.

Several essential verbs appear constantly in medical and wellness contexts in France:

  • Soigner – To treat or cure an illness/injury.
  • Guérir – To recover or heal.
  • Etre en bonne santé – To be in good health.
  • Prescrire – To prescribe medication.
  • Prendre (un médicament) – To take (medicine).

In addition to specific body pains, you can describe overall physical state using these common phrases:

  • Je ne me sens pas bien – I don't feel well.
  • Je suis malade – I am sick.
  • Je suis fatigué(e) / épuisé(e) – I am tired / exhausted.
  • J'ai de la fièvre – I have a fever.

Describing health often requires precise adjectives that change form depending on gender:

  • Aigu / Aiguë – Acute or sharp (e.g., une douleur aiguë).
  • Chronique – Chronic or long-lasting.
  • Contagieux / Contagieuse – Contagious.
  • Grave – Serious or severe.

While standard healthcare terms are widely recognized, colloquial vocabulary for medical items varies across regions:

  • Un pansement (France) vs. Un plaster (Quebec) – Adhesive bandage.
  • Une ordonnance (France) vs. Un papier du médecin (Informal Quebec) – Prescription.
  • Les urgences (France) vs. L'urgence (Quebec) – Emergency room.

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