Illnesses in French: understanding and talking about your symptoms
One Tuesday morning, you wake up with a 38.5 °C fever, a sore throat and a headache that won’t go away. You need to see a doctor. Your local practice opens at 8 a.m. and, before you’ve even left home, one question comes to mind: how do you explain all this in French?
It’s a situation that many English speakers living in French-speaking Switzerland may face. You know the words for work, shopping or public transport. But when you have to talk about your body, a pain or an illness, the vocabulary can suddenly fail you.
Here are the main words and expressions you need to get by in French during a medical appointment.
Common illnesses in French
On the phone, the medical assistant asks what brings you in. Of course, you don’t know your diagnosis yet: it’s not up to you to make it. However, recognising the name of an illness when a doctor mentions it can be very useful.
Respiratory illnesses
Here are some illnesses, or “maladies” in French, that you might hear during a consultation:
| Français | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le rhume | a cold | J’ai un rhume. |
| la grippe | the flu | Je crois que j’ai la grippe. |
| la toux | a cough | J’ai de la toux. |
| la bronchite | bronchitis | Le médecin dit que j’ai une bronchite. |
| l’asthme | asthma | J’ai de l’asthme. |
| la pneumonie | pneumonia | Elle a une pneumonie. |
A general word to remember: la maladie, “illness”. In the plural, les maladies.
For example, you might hear:
Avez-vous des maladies chroniques ?
“Do you have any chronic illnesses?”
Serious and chronic illnesses
Some terms are less common, but it’s useful to be able to recognise them when they come up in a conversation with a healthcare professional or on a medical document.
| Français | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le cancer | cancer | Il est soigné pour un cancer. |
| le diabète | diabetes | Elle a du diabète. |
| l’infarctus | a heart attack | Il a fait un infarctus. |
| l’AVC | a stroke | Il a fait un AVC. |
| l’allergie | an allergy | J’ai une allergie au pollen. |
| l’hypertension | high blood pressure | Il a de l’hypertension. |
Some terms are less common, but it’s useful to be able to recognise them when they come up in a conversation with a healthcare professional or on a medical document.
You might also come across la paralysie (paralysis), le trouble de la parole (speech disorder) or le trouble visuel (visual disturbance).
In an emergency, the number to know in Switzerland is 144. In France, the number for medical emergencies is 15.
Symptoms: how to explain what you’re feeling
Once you’re in the consultation room, the doctor won’t necessarily ask you which illness you think you have. They will often start with something much simpler: what are you feeling?
That’s where a few well-chosen words can make all the difference.
Common symptoms
| Français | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la fièvre | a fever | J’ai de la fièvre. |
| la toux | a cough | J’ai une forte toux. |
| avoir la nausée / être nauséeux(se) | to feel nauseous | J’ai la nausée. |
| vomir | to vomit | Je vais vomir. |
| le vertige | dizziness | J’ai des vertiges. |
| être fatigué(e) | to be tired | Je suis fatigué(e). |
| la douleur | pain | J’ai de fortes douleurs. |
To start with, a very simple structure is enough: J’ai…
- J’ai de la fièvre. — I have a fever.
- J’ai de la toux et le nez qui coule. — I have a cough and a runny nose.
- J’ai mal à la tête. — I have a headache.
And if the French word escapes you completely, don’t panic. Pointing to where it hurts or using a word you already know can help the doctor understand.
But the more comfortable you are in French, the easier it becomes to explain what you’re feeling, ask your questions and understand the answers. Discover our French courses and gain the confidence to communicate calmly in every situation of daily life.
Discover our personalised French courses>
In French-speaking Switzerland: everyday French
You live in French-speaking Switzerland and you’re going to the doctor in French for the first time. A small difficulty may then arise: alongside the standard French you learned in class, you may hear expressions or a pronunciation typical of the region. In a medical context, however, standard French remains widely used. If you don’t understand everything, there’s no need to panic: simply ask the doctor to repeat or to speak more slowly.
The main thing is to be able to explain what you’re feeling and to clearly understand the important information.
Want to take it a step further?
If you’d like to learn how to make an appointment, explain your symptoms and understand your doctor’s questions in French, discover our article on useful phrases for visiting the doctor in French.