5.13 Health and the body II — Epoché
What you will be able to do Use fifty-five more words of health: the people and places of medicine, symptoms and illnesses, injuries, treatment, and everyday health. Understand how the French health system works for a patient: la sécu , la carte Vitale , la mutuelle , le médecin traitant . Know where to go and whom to call: the GP, the pharmacy, les urgences , and the emergency numbers. Describe symptoms with avoir : j'ai la grippe , j'ai la nausée , j'ai le vertige . Sentences from this lesson, before the explanation. Read the French aloud; all of them come back below. French English Je dois suivre un régime pour perdre du poids. [1] I have to go on a diet to lose weight. Comment puis-je perdre du poids en toute sécurité ? [2] How can I lose weight safely? Ma blessure à la jambe guérit. [3] The wound on my leg is healing. Est-ce que cet homme a besoin d’un fauteuil roulant ? [4] Does this man need a wheelchair? Le pouls et la tension du patient sont normaux. [5] The patient's pulse and blood pressure are normal. Je crois que je vais éternuer... Passe-moi un mouchoir. [6] I think I'm gonna sneeze. Give me a tissue. Garde la tête basse ! [7] Keep your head low. J'ai une tension basse. [8] I have low blood pressure. Prerequisites : 5.12 — this lesson follows 5.12 Vocabulary . It builds on the body and health words of 5.1 Vocabulary and the doctor's and pharmacy dialogues of 6.8 Conversation ; the words taught there, such as l'ordonnance , le médicament and la fièvre , are not repeated. The first phase gave you the body and the visit to the doctor. This lesson goes further into the system: the professions, the injuries and treatments, and the vocabulary of a hospital. It also explains the system itself, which is unlike either the British or the American one. In France you pay the doctor, the state reimburses most of the fee, and a private complementary insurer pays most of the rest. The words for each part of that arrangement are words every resident uses. Word list Fifty-five words in five groups. Many medical words are cognates; this list concentrates on the ones that are not, and on those whose use differs. People and places Word Meaning Notes l'hôpital fr hospital Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Public hospitals do most emergency care. J'étais à l'hôpital. [9] I was in the hospital. les urgences fr accident and emergency, ER Gender / part of speech feminine plural noun How English differs Always plural for the department: aller aux urgences . J'ai dû aller aux urgences. [10] I had to go to the emergency room. la clinique fr private hospital, clinic Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Usually private, unlike l'hôpital . Je suis le directeur de cette clinique. [11] I'm the director of this clinic. le généraliste fr general practitioner, GP Gender / part of speech masculine or feminine noun How English differs Also le médecin traitant , your registered doctor. Ziri est généraliste. [12] Ziri is a general practitioner. le spécialiste fr specialist Gender / part of speech masculine or feminine noun How English differs You usually see one after your GP refers you. Qu'a dit le spécialiste ? [13] What did the specialist say? l'infirmier fr nurse Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Feminine l'infirmière . L'infirmière vous accompagnera. [14] The nurse will accompany you. le chirurgien fr surgeon Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs la chirurgie , surgery : the operation, not the place. Je suis chirurgien. [15] I'm a surgeon. le dentiste fr dentist Gender / part of speech masculine or feminine noun How English differs As in English. Connais-tu un bon dentiste ? [16] Do you know a good dentist? la sage-femme fr midwife Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Literally wise woman ; men in the job are also called sage-femme . Elle est sage-femme. [17] She's a midwife. le kinésithérapeute fr physiotherapist Gender / part of speech masculine or feminine noun How English differs Usually shortened to le kiné . Il veut devenir kinésithérapeute. [18] He wants to be a physiotherapist. l'ambulance fr ambulance Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs The emergency number for medical help in France is 15. Appelle-moi une ambulance. [19] Get me an ambulance. la consultation fr appointment, consultation Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs A visit to the doctor; les heures de consultation , surgery hours . Quand le médecin tient-il sa consultation ? [20] What are the doctor's office hours? Symptoms and illness Word Meaning Notes le symptôme fr symptom Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs The p is pronounced: [sɛ̃ptom]. Quels symptômes avez-vous ? What symptoms do you have? la grippe fr flu Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs A cold is un rhume . J'ai attrapé la grippe. [21] I've come down with the flu. l'allergie fr allergy Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs allergique à , allergic to . Souffrez-vous d'une allergie alimentaire ? [22] Do you have a food allergy? le diabète fr diabetes Gender / part of speech masculine noun How English differs Masculine. J'ai le diabète. [23] I've got diabetes. l'infection fr infection Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs As in English. J'ai une infection à l'oreille. [24] I have an ear infection. la migraine fr migraine; bad headache Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs Used for any severe headache. J'ai une migraine. [25] I have a migraine. la nausée fr nausea Gender / part of speech feminine noun How English differs avoir la nausée , to feel sick . J'ai la nausée. [26] I feel nauseous. vomir fr to vomit, to be sick Gender / part of speech verb How English differs A second-group verb: nous vomissons . Je vais vomir. [27] I'm going to throw up. le vertige fr dizziness; fear of heights Gender / part of speech masculine noun