The Ultimate Guide to Emergency Medical Words in French

Most French language learners dream of one day visiting France. Whether it's to attend a French immersion program or simply for vacation, most people who learn French have a plan for visiting the country at least once. Maybe you do too! You're certainly in good company if so, but have you planned for what to do in case of an emergency?

No one wants to plan for an emergency. You want to plan for fun! When traveling to a foreign country or somewhere that you want to learn the language, however, it can be very useful to have a few emergency phrases in your back pocket. Vacations and immersion programs are fun, but if an emergency happens, you need to know how to communicate. You may have a simple cold or you may seriously hurt yourself. No matter the case, it's important to know that you can ask for help when you need it, even in a foreign language.

58 Medical Terms to Know in French

No one expects to end up with a medical emergency when they travel, but it's always better to be prepared. Today, we'll talk about important medicine terminology in French that you should know and what to do in an emergency. While we'll cover a lot, not every situation will be addressed.

As a French language learner, it's okay to not know everything even if you otherwise have a high level of fluency. If you know the basics, you can be sure someone will understand and you can get the help you need. If you're seriously worried about it, however, then you can always buy an English-French medical dictionary to have on hand. Here are some additional resources for talking about medicine in French.

Without further ado, let's dive in to medical terms in French you need to know!

7 French Vocab Words for Emergencies

Whether you are the person having an emergency or someone else is, here are some phrases you should know. If nothing else, memorize this short list so that you can get assistance right away.

1. Au secours! - Help!
2. J'ai eu un accident - I've had an accident
3. Où est-ce qu'on peut trouver un cabinet médical? - Where can we find a doctor's office?
4. J'ai besoin d'un médecin - I need a doctor
5. J'ai besoin d'une ambulance - I need an ambulance
6. J'ai mal - I'm in pain
7. Je ne vais pas bien - I don't feel good

18 Body Part Vocab Words in French

If you have a medical emergency, then you will likely need to be able to explain where it hurts. To do so, review this quick body part vocab in French.

Body part vocab isn't just useful for emergencies. A lot of French idioms use body parts. Once you know them, then you can better understand colloquial French! Knowing the parts of the body is also useful for everyday conversations and in general.

1. la bouche - mouth
2. le bras - arm
3. la cheville - ankle
4. le cou - neck
5. le coude - elbow
6. les dents - teeth
7. l'oreille (f) - ear
8. l'oeil (m) - eye
9. le dos - back
10. le doigt - finger
11. l'épaule (f) - shoulder
12. l'éstomac (m) - stomach
13. le genou - knee
14. la gorge - throat
15. la jambe - leg
16. le nez - nose
17. la poitrine - chest
18. la tête - head

19 General Medicine Vocab Words in French

Whether you're in an emergency or you have general medical questions, here are some standard medical terms you may hear and need when talking about medicine in French.

1. l'ambulance (f) - ambulance
2. l'assurance (f) - insurance
3. la blessure - injury
4. le cabinet médical - doctor's office
5. le diagnostique - diagnosis
6. le médecin - doctor
7. la douleur - pain
8. la fièvre - fever
9. le gonflement - swelling
10. l'hôpital (m) - hospital
11. l'infirmier/l'infirmière - nurse
12. la maladie - illness
13. la pharmacie - pharmacy
14. la radiographie - x-ray
15. le sang - blood
16. la santé - health
17. le symptôme - symptom
18. l'urgence (f) - emergency
19. le vomi - vomit

9 Treatment Vocab Words

When talking with a doctor, you will want to know what they are saying or recommending. Now, in most cases, you can find an interpreter to help you understand if you truly don't. However, as a French learner, it's important to expand your vocabulary.

Learning treatment and medicine terminology in French is a good way to do this. Not only will you improve your language skills, but you'll also feel more confident and prepared in case a problem occurs. If you have French-speaking friends, these terms may also be part of a normal conversation. You'll be glad to have prepared in advance!

1. l'anti-douleur (m) - painkiller
2. le comprimé - pill
3. le fauteuil roulant - wheelchair
4. le médicament - medication
5. l'ordonnance (f) - prescription
6. le pansement - bandage/band-aid
7. le plâtre - cast
8. la pommade - ointment
9. le vaccin - shot/vaccine

5 Medical Appointment Vocab Phrases

Finally, if you're in France or a French-speaking country, you may want or need to make a medical appointment. If you're living abroad, then you most certainly will. Luckily, all of the vocab you've learned so far is useful during appointments too. Here are a few additional phrases that you may want to know when at your appointment and when talking about medicine in French.

1. Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas? - What's wrong?
2. Qui dois-je contacter en cas d'urgence? - Who is your emergency contact?
3. Montrez-moi où vous avez mal - Show me where it hurts
4. C'est la première fois que ceci vous est arrivé? - Is this the first time this has happened to you?
5. Prenez un comprimé par jour - Take one pill per day

What is the French Medical System Like?

Just like every other country, the medical system in France will likely be very different from your home country's. If you live in Europe, then it may not be too dissimilar. However, if you're from a different continent, then navigating medical appointments and emergencies in France will be a whole new experience.

While every appointment and emergency will be different, there are a few things that anyone can expect. For example, when making a standard doctor's appointment in France, you'll use Doctolib. The website is pretty straightforward so you should be able to navigate it well enough on your own, even with a basic level of medical terminology French.

To pay for doctor's appointments, you can use cash or a card. If you're living in France, you'll need to show your assurance maladie card. This is the insurance that every resident of France has access to and is required to have. If you're from elsewhere in Europe, you can show a European health card. If you're just visiting or this was an unplanned appointment, you can talk to the receptionist. You may not need to show an insurance card, but you will need to pay upfront for any services you received.

Practicing Your Medical French Vocab

Learning medical terminology in a foreign is always a good idea. If you're learning other languages such as German or Chinese, check out these other articles on Speechling with similar, must-know medical vocab.

While you may not expect to have a medical emergency while traveling, it's always a good idea to plan ahead. Practice this medical vocab so that if something happens, you have the confidence to ask for help and get the care you need. Even if there isn't an emergency while you travel, some of this vocab may come up in normal, everyday conversation with friends. Many French idioms use body parts too, so knowing those will help you better understand what someone is saying, even if the meaning of the idiom escapes you at the time.

No matter where you are on your French learning journey, medicine and emergency vocab is easy enough to add into your everyday studying. Find a practice partner online or in town and put yourself to the test!