Explaining myself to the doctor: Giving history
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Key Phrases
Qu'est-ce qui vous amène aujourd'hui ?
What brings you in today?
J'ai mal au ventre.
I have a stomach ache.
Vous prenez des médicaments en ce moment ?
Are you taking any medication right now?
Skills You'll Learn
Describe stomach pain and when it started.
Décrire une douleur au ventre et dire depuis quand elle a commencé.
Talk about symptoms such as nausea and fever.
Parler de symptômes comme la nausée et la fièvre.
Answer basic medical questions about past episodes and current medication.
Répondre à des questions médicales simples sur les épisodes passés et les médicaments actuels.
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you are at a doctor’s office in France, explaining that you have had a stomach ache since yesterday and answering questions about your symptoms, past episodes, and current medication.
Bonjour, qu'est-ce qui vous amène aujourd'hui ?
Hello, what brings you in today?
Bonjour docteur. J'ai mal au ventre depuis hier.
Hello, doctor. I've had a stomach ache since yesterday.
D'accord. La douleur est forte ?
Okay. Is the pain severe?
Oui, un peu forte, surtout après les repas.
Yes, a bit severe, especially after meals.
Vous avez aussi de la fièvre ou des nausées ?
Do you also have a fever or nausea?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Bonjour
bohn-ZHOOR
Hello
Docteur
dok-TUR
Doctor
Qu'est-ce qui
k ay suh kee
What is it that
💬 [Qu'] only appears attached to the next word before a vowel, as in [qu'est-ce qui]. Never use [qu'] by itself.
See breakdown →Vous amène
voo ah-MEN
Brings you
🇫🇷 With a doctor, [vous] is the normal form. Using [tu] here would usually sound too familiar unless you already know each other well.
See breakdown →Aujourd'hui ?
oh-zhoor-DWEE
Today?
💬 In [aujourd'hui], the final [hui] is pronounced, so it is not like English "today" with stress on the end. Say it roughly as (oh-zhoor-dwee).
See breakdown →Qu'est-ce qui vous amène aujourd'hui ?
k ay suh kee voo ah-MEN oh-zhoor-DWEE
What brings you in today?
🇫🇷 This is a very standard doctor's opening question in France. It sounds professional and routine, not dramatic or intrusive.
See breakdown →J'ai
zh ay
I have
💬 [J'] only appears joined to the next word before a vowel, as in [j'ai]. Never alone.
See breakdown →Mal
mal
Pain
💬 French often says [avoir mal] "to have pain" where English uses "to hurt." You can reuse it with body parts: [j'ai mal à la tête], [j'ai mal au dos].
See breakdown →Au ventre
oh vahntr
In my stomach / stomachache
💬 [Au] is the combined form of [à le], so [au ventre] literally means "to the stomach." You see this a lot with masculine body parts: [au bras], [au genou].
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