French · Elementary (A2) · Chapter 3 of 12
At the doctor's
Chez le médecin
Say what hurts and since when, use reflexive verbs in the past, and understand a doctor's advice with vous devez and il faut.
In this chapter you'll learn to
- Say what hurts with avoir mal à
- Say how long you've been ill with depuis
- Use reflexive verbs in the passé composé
- Understand advice with vous devez and il faut
Listen
Élise Fontaine has been ill for a few days. She sees Dr Lambert at his practice in Dijon. Listen to the whole dialogue first, then line by line.
Dr Lambert
Bonjour, madame Fontaine. Asseyez-vous. Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?
Hello, Ms Fontaine. Please sit down. What's the matter?
Élise
Bonjour, docteur. J'ai mal à la gorge et à la tête.
Hello, doctor. I've got a sore throat and a headache.
Dr Lambert
Depuis quand ?
Since when?
Élise
Depuis trois jours. Lundi matin, je me suis réveillée avec de la fièvre.
For three days. On Monday morning I woke up with a temperature.
Dr Lambert
Vous avez pris quelque chose ?
Have you taken anything?
Élise
Oui, du paracétamol. Hier soir, je me suis couchée tôt, mais j'ai encore mal.
Yes, paracetamol. Last night I went to bed early, but it still hurts.
Dr Lambert
Ouvrez la bouche, s'il vous plaît… Oui, la gorge est très rouge.
Open your mouth, please… Yes, your throat is very red.
Élise
C'est grave ?
Is it serious?
Dr Lambert
Non, ce n'est pas grave. C'est un rhume. Vous devez vous reposer et boire beaucoup d'eau.
No, it's not serious. It's a cold. You need to rest and drink plenty of water.
Élise
Je peux aller au travail demain ?
Can I go to work tomorrow?
Dr Lambert
Non, il faut rester à la maison trois jours. Voici une ordonnance pour la pharmacie.
No, you need to stay at home for three days. Here's a prescription for the pharmacy.
Élise
Merci, docteur. Au revoir.
Thank you, doctor. Goodbye.
Understand
What hurts: avoir mal à
To say that something hurts, use + the part of the body: (I've got a headache, literally “I have pain at the head”). joins with and as usual: , .
To say how long, use with the present tense: (My back has been hurting since yesterday). English says “has been” or “have had”, but French uses the present because the pain is still there. To ask, say (since when?) or (for how long?).
| French | English |
|---|---|
| I've got a headache. | |
| I've got a sore throat. | |
| I've got stomach ache. | |
| My back hurts. | |
| I've got earache. | |
| I've got toothache. | |
| My feet hurt. |
Reflexive verbs in the passé composé
Reflexive verbs like always take in the passé composé. The little pronoun (, , …) goes before : (I got up). As with other verbs, the participle agrees with the subject, so Élise writes .
In the negative, goes before the pronoun and after : (I didn't go to bed late).
| Infinitive | English | Passé composé |
|---|---|---|
| to get up | je me suis levé(e) | |
| to wake up | tu t'es réveillé(e) | |
| to go to bed | ||
| to rest | nous nous sommes reposé(e)s | |
| to get dressed |
Advice: vous devez, il faut
The doctor (, but you say when you speak to one) gives advice with (must, to have to) + infinitive: With a reflexive verb, the pronoun matches the person: , .
+ infinitive means “you have to” or “it's necessary to”, in general. means “you mustn't”, not “you don't have to”.
| (must) | English |
|---|---|
| I must, I have to | |
| you must (to a friend) | |
| / / | he / she must, we must |
| we must | |
| you must (polite or plural) | |
| / | they must |
- Il faut boire beaucoup d'eau.You need to drink plenty of water.
- Il ne faut pas aller au travail.You mustn't go to work.
- Vous devez rester à la maison.You have to stay at home.
More in the grammar: Reflexive verbs: se lever, s'appeler · The imperative: giving instructions · The passé composé: talking about the past
New words
- asseyez-voussit down (polite)
- qu'est-ce qui ne va pas ?what's the matter?
- avoir mal à…to have a pain in…, … hurts · : I've got a headache
- la gorgethroat
- depuissince, for (a length of time)
- la fièvrefever, temperature
- quelque chosesomething, anything
- encorestill, again
- ouvrez la boucheopen your mouth · : mouth
- graveserious
- le rhumecold (illness)
- se reposerto rest
- à la maisonat home
- l'ordonnanceprescription · feminine:
Practise
1.Your head hurts. What do you say?
2.Complete with , , à l' or : “I've got stomach ache.”
I've got stomach ache.
3.Complete: “I woke up at six.” (said by a woman)
I woke up at six.
4.You've had a cold for a week and you still have it. What do you say?
5.Put the words in order.
Tap the words below in the right order.Last night I went to bed early.
6.Match the French with the English.
Pick a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.
0 of 6 exercises done.
Say it out loud
J'ai mal à la gorge depuis deux jours.
I've had a sore throat for two days.
Listen, then say it out loud, as close to the recording as you can.
Check
Five questions on this chapter. Then mark it as finished to add its words to your review deck.
0 of 5 answered.