Medical and Everyday Vocabulary in English and French
Medical Vocabulary
Common Ailments
I don’t feel very well. I’ve felt sick for a few days. I have a sore throat. I’ll have a look. Open your mouth wide, please. He’s recovering from a serious illness. When people are ill, the government pays them an illness allowance. This medicine can be used to cure headaches, toothaches, and stomachaches. Take two pills. What is the number of her surgery? Antibiotics can be given with a prescription only. You should feel better within two or three days. He died of a heart attack in 1984. Morphine is a drug used as a painkiller. His hypocrisy makes me sick.
Hospital Terms
I’m feeling as ill as can be. Hospitals are places where people undergo long medical treatments. An anesthetic is something that makes you go to sleep. People with very contagious diseases are isolated. The word “or” is an English conjunction translated in French by “ou.” Nurses are the people who help doctors with some medical work. The matron is the lady in charge of the nurses. If you’re fit, you don’t need to see a doctor. A note is a small piece of paper with information. You take temperature with a thermometer. Scars (cicatrices) are visible marks after a wound has healed. An operation is usually performed by a surgeon. “Sick” means ill. Ointment (pomada) is an oily substance put on the skin. A patient is a doctor’s customer. You may need a doctor’s prescription to get medicine. To stitch (coser) is to hold a cut shut with a needle and thread after a surgeon has opened a person up. Serum is the fluid used in inoculation and vaccination. “Dr.” is short for “doctor.”
Everyday Vocabulary
Greetings and Small Talk
Hello, how are you? I’m fine, thank you. And you? I’m very well. Where are you going now? I’m going to the disco tonight. I never go there, but I go to the cinema every Friday night. This afternoon, we’re playing football, but I don’t like it; I prefer reading. I’m not finishing my homework now because I don’t know the answer.
Daily Activities
I always work in the garden on Saturdays when the weather is good. What are you doing? I’m studying for my exams. It doesn’t often snow in December, but it’s snowing now. Water boils at 100°C and freezes at 0°C. You’re smoking a lot today, and you know it’s not good for your health. This artist speaks French, Italian, and Spanish. What are you reading? A book by E.A. Poe. Tom is taking a bath. What do you do at night? Usually, I knit, and my wife watches TV, or we play cards. Ann is making a dress for herself. At the moment, she makes all her own clothes. My mother hopes that Jack doesn’t come to the party because he always gets drunk. During the holidays, I live with my mother, my sister, and her husband in a house in the countryside.
Weather
Cool: Frais
Nice out: Beau
Bad weather: Mauvais
Windy: Du vent
Foggy: Brouillard
Cloudy: Nuageux
Stormy: Orageux
Heatwave: Vague de chaleur
Lightning: Éclair
Thunderstorm: Orage
Heavy rain: Forte pluie
Thunder (trueno): Tonnerre
Breeze: Lluvia suave
Gale: Coupe vent
Blowing: Souffle
Temperature: Boiling, hot, warm, not very warm, cold (also chilly), freezing
How hot does it get in the summer? It can reach about 35°C.
How cold does it get in the winter? It often goes below zero.
Buildings and Places
Block of flats: Bloc appartements
High-rise/Skyscraper: Gratte-ciel
Town hall: Mairie
Court: Tribunal
Fire station: Caserne de pompiers
Harbour: Port
Embassy: Ambassade
Newsagents: Magasin journales
Greengrocer: Magasin des legumes
Bakers: Boulangers
Butcher: Bouchers
Mosque: Mosquée
Railway: Chemin de fer
Path: Chemin
Directions
Whereabouts: Où
Ring road: Périphérique
Roundabout: Rond-point
Dual carriageway: Route à 4 voies
By-pass: Route de contournement
Go straight on/ahead: Aller tout droit
Turn right/left: Tourner à droite/gauche
Take the first/second/third street on the right: Prendre la première/deuxième/troisième rue à droite
Go/drive/ride/walk past the church until/till you get to the river: Passer devant l’église jusqu’à/jusqu’à ce que vous arriviez à la rivière
Walk over/under the bridge: Marcher sur/sous le pont
Go through the main square: Passer par la place principale