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B1  ·  31 words

Health and medicine in French

The practice, the ward, the prescription.

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More about this list

The list for the vocabulary of a hospital. The last entry is le poumon, and it shows something about English rather than about French. English has a Germanic noun, « lung », and then every adjective and compound the clinic uses is Latin or Greek: « pulmonary », « pneumonia », « pulmonologist », « pulmonary embolism ». The two halves of the vocabulary do not meet, so a reader who knows the adjective cannot get to the noun or the other way round. French runs both on one root — le poumon and pulmonaire, la pneumonie — and the whole family is visible at once. That is the general shape of English medical vocabulary: « heart » beside « cardiac », « kidney » beside « renal », « liver » beside « hepatic ». So the profit here runs one way: an English reader already owns le poumon through « pulmonary », and has never been able to use it.

The words

Verb (4)

traiterto treatVerbB1
On traite l’inflammation avant l’opération.The inflammation is treated before the operation.
léserto damage (tissue)VerbB1
La chute a lésé le ligament.The fall damaged the ligament.
souffrirto sufferVerbB1
Elle souffre du dos depuis l’hiver.She has suffered from her back since the winter.
orienterto refer (a patient)VerbB2
Le généraliste oriente le patient vers un confrère.The GP refers the patient to a colleague.

Adjective (3)

Grammar for these: Adjective agreement · Where the adjective goes

douloureuxpainfulAdjectiveB1
Le premier pas est douloureux le matin.The first step is painful in the morning.
persistantpersistentAdjectiveB2
Une toux persistante mérite un examen.A persistent cough deserves to be looked at.
épuiséexhaustedAdjectiveB1
Il rentre épuisé après une garde de nuit.He comes home exhausted after a night on call.

Phrase (16)

le signe cliniquethe clinical signPhraseB1
Le premier signe clinique est une grande fatigue.The first clinical sign is severe tiredness.
remettre sur piedto nurse back to healthPhraseB2
Trois semaines de repos l’ont remis sur pied.Three weeks of rest put him back on his feet.
la fiche de soinsthe treatment recordPhraseB1
La fiche de soins est remise à la fin de la consultation.The treatment record is handed over at the end of the appointment.
l’armoire à pharmaciethe medicine cabinetPhraseA2
L’armoire à pharmacie est rangée deux fois par an.The medicine cabinet is tidied out twice a year.
la réaction au médicamentthe reaction to a medicinePhraseB2
La réaction au médicament est apparue le deuxième jour.The reaction to the medicine appeared on the second day.
le rappel de vaccinthe booster jabPhraseB2
Le rappel de vaccin revient tous les dix ans.The booster jab comes round every ten years.
le cabinet médicalthe doctor’s surgeryPhraseB2
Le cabinet médical est fermé le mercredi.The surgery is closed on Wednesdays.
l’intervention chirurgicalethe operationPhraseB1
L’intervention chirurgicale a duré deux heures.The operation lasted two hours.
le service hospitalierthe hospital wardPhraseB2
Le service hospitalier compte vingt lits.The ward has twenty beds.
le véhicule de secoursthe emergency vehiclePhraseA2
Le véhicule de secours stationne devant l’entrée.The emergency vehicle is parked in front of the entrance.
la tension artériellethe blood pressurePhraseB2
La tension artérielle est prise au bras gauche.Blood pressure is taken on the left arm.
le médecin spécialistethe specialistPhraseB2
Le médecin spécialiste reçoit sur rendez-vous seulement.The specialist sees patients by appointment only.
le constat médicalthe medical reportPhraseB2
Le constat médical tient en une page.The medical report fits on a single page.
poser un diagnosticto make a diagnosisPhraseB2
Il faut deux examens pour poser un diagnostic.It takes two tests to make a diagnosis.
l’état de santéthe state of healthPhraseB1
L’état de santé s’est stabilisé pendant la nuit.His state of health stabilised during the night.
la santé mentalemental healthPhraseB2
La santé mentale est devenue un sujet de consultation ordinaire.Mental health has become an ordinary thing to raise at an appointment.

Noun (f) (5)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

la maladiethe illnessNoun (f)B1
La maladie a été prise à temps.The illness was caught in time.
la pathologiethe disease (named condition)Noun (f)B1
Cette pathologie porte le nom de son découvreur.This disease carries the name of the person who discovered it.
la piqûrethe injectionNoun (f)B2
La piqûre se fait dans le bras.The injection is given in the arm.
la plaiethe woundNoun (f)B1
La plaie se referme sans point de suture.The wound is closing without stitches.
l’infectionthe infectionNoun (f)B1
L’infection a été stoppée en trois jours.The infection was stopped within three days.

Noun (m) (3)

Grammar for these: Definite article: le, la, les · Indefinite article: un, une

le dosagethe doseNoun (m)B2
Le dosage change selon le poids.The dose changes according to body weight.
le bandagethe bandageNoun (m)B1
Le bandage se change tous les deux jours.The bandage is changed every other day.
le poumonthe lungNoun (m)B1
Le poumon droit était touché.The right lung was affected.

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