Key points about describing illness and health conditions
Vocabulary – Parts of the body
Have a look at the image to see how to talk about different parts of the body in French.
Click or tap on Show more to listen to the pronunciation of the words in the image above.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | hand |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | arm |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | foot |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | heart |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | back |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | leg |
For example:
J’ai mal au bras. - My arm hurts.
Have a look at the image to see how to talk about different facial features in French.
Click or tap on Show more to listen to the pronunciation of the words in the image above.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | mouth |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | ear |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | hair |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | head |
| Check your connection, refresh the page and try again. | eyes |
For example:
Ses yeux sont fatigués. - His/her eyes are tired.
Useful verbs for describing illnesses and accidents include:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| avoir un accident | to have an accident |
| avoir mal | to be in pain, hurt |
| avoir un problème medical | to have a medical problem |
| couper | to cut |
| durer | to last |
| être malade | to be ill |
| frapper | to hit, knock |
| tomber | to fall |
For example:
Je suis malade et j’ai mal à la tête. - I’m ill and I have a headache.
Cette maladie a duré deux semaines. - This illness has lasted two weeks.
Elle est tombée de son vélo. - She fell off her bike.
Grammar – Expressions with ‘avoir’
Sometimes avoir translates as ‘to be’ in English, instead of 'to have'. Common expressions in French which use avoir are:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| avoir mal | to be in pain/hurt |
| avoir froid | to be cold |
| avoir chaud | to be hot |
| avoir faim | to be hungry |
| avoir soif | to be thirsty |
| avoir peur | to be afraid |
| avoir … an(s) | to be … year(s) old |
For example:
Il a mal. – He is in pain.
J’ai froid. – I am cold.
On a faim! – We are hungry!
Nous avons soif. – We are thirsty.
Les filles ont seize ans. – The girls are 16 years old.
The expression avoir mal (to be in pain/hurt) can also be used to describe having an ache, pain or soreness in a particular body part.
For example:
J’ai mal au dos. - I have backache / My back hurts.
Elle a mal à la jambe. - Her leg aches/hurts.
Nous avons mal aux pieds. - Our feet ache/hurt.
There are various ways to translate the word mal in English depending on the context. Use the translation that sounds most natural in English for that particular sentence.
When using avoir mal with a part of the body, you need to use the correct preposition according to the gender and number of the noun. For example:
| Noun | Preposition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine, singular noun | au | J’ai mal au bras. - My arm aches/hurts. |
| feminine, singular noun | à la | J’ai mal à la tête. - I have a headache. / My head hurts. |
| singular noun starting with a vowel | à l' | J’ai mal à l’œil. - My eye hurts. / I have a sore eye. |
| plural noun | aux | J’ai mal aux mains. - My hands hurt. / I have sore hands. |
Expressions with ‘avoir’ – Mini quiz
Translate the following sentences into English.
J’ai chaud et j’ai très soif.
I’m hot and I’m very thirsty.
Avoir (to have) in these expressions translates into English with the verb ‘to be’.
Il a peur des chiens.
He is afraid of dogs.
Avoir (to have) in this expression translates into English with the verb ‘to be’.
Elles ont toujours faim.
They are always hungry.
Avoir (to have) in this expression translates into English with the verb ‘to be’.
Nous avons mal aux yeux.
Our eyes ache/hurt. / We have sore eyes.
There are various ways to translate mal in English.
To find more about using the verb avoir have a look at the Present tense irregular verbs in French guide.
Vocabulary – Describing how you are feeling
Useful phrases to describe how you are feeling or to ask how someone else is feeling include:
| French | English | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ça va? / Comment ça va? | How are you? / How’s it going? | Je suis fatigué(e). | I am tired. |
| Ça va. | I’m fine. | Ce n’est pas grave. | It’s not serious. |
| Ça va (très) bien. | I’m (very) well. | J’étais vraiment malade. | I was really ill. |
| Ça ne va pas bien / Ça va mal. | I’m not well, it’s going badly. | Je vais mieux/pire. | I’m feeling better/worse. |
| Je suis (très) faible. | I am (very) weak. | J’avais chaud et froid en même temps. | I was hot and cold at the same time. |
For example:
Désolé, je ne peux pas venir, je me sens mal. - Sorry, I can’t come, I feel ill.
Il était très malade mais il va mieux aujourd’hui. - He was very ill but he’s feeling better today.
Useful phrases for getting help and feeling better include:
| French | English | French | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| aider quelqu’un | to help someone | prendre un rendez-vous | to make an appointment |
| aller à l’hôpital | to go to hospital | prendre des médicaments | to take some medicine |
| aller chez le médecin | to go the doctor’s | se reposer | to rest |
| améliorer | to improve | rester au lit | to stay in bed |
| coucher, se coucher | to lie down, go to bed | visiter une personne malade | to visit an ill person |
For example:
Si c’est une urgence, il faut aller à l’hôpital. - If it’s an emergency, you must go to hospital.
Restez au lit cette semaine pour vous reposer. - Stay in bed this week to rest.
Le médecin va t’aider – tu dois prendre un rendez-vous.- The doctor is going to help you – you must make an appointment.
All Foundation Tier vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Grammar - Using the imperative
The imperative is used to order or instruct someone to do something.
For example:
Restez au lit. - Stay in bed.
Ferme la fenêtre. - Close the window.
The imperative is used in both the tu (you singular informal) and vous (you plural) forms.
It is usually formed using the present tense of the verb.
Forming the imperative in the tu form
To form the imperative tu form of regular er verbs, remove the s from the present tense verb.
For example:
Tu manges becomes Mange ! (Eat!).
For the imperative tu form of regular ir and re verbs, there is no need to change anything.
For example:
Tu finis (you finish) is Finis ! (Finish!) in the imperative.
Tu réponds (you reply) is Réponds ! (Reply!) in the imperative.
Forming the imperative in the vous form
For the imperative vous form of regular er, ir and re verbs, use the verb in the present tense vous form.
For example:
Vous mangez becomes Mangez ! (Eat!)
Vous finissez becomes Finissez ! (Finish!)
Vous répondez becomes Répondez ! (Reply!)
Using negative imperatives
With a negative imperative, the ne and pas/jamais/que, etc go either side of the verb.
For example:
Ne mangez pas trop de chocolat. - Don’t eat too much chocolate.
Irregular imperatives
Aller (to go) and faire (to do/make) are two irregular verbs that are used frequently in French.
| Aller | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| tu vas | Va ! | Go! |
| vous allez | Allez ! | Go! |
| Faire | Imperative | English |
|---|---|---|
| tu fais | Fais ! | Do/make! |
| vous faites | Faites ! | Do/make! |
For example:
Allez chez le médecin. - Go to the doctor’s.
Prends un rendez-vous ! - Make an appointment!
Ne va pas à l’hôpital tout seul. - Don’t go to hospital on your own.
Mini quiz - The imperative
Choose the correct form of the imperative to complete the following sentences.
Press Start to begin the activity.
Find out more about using imperatives in the Imperatives in French guide.
Reading practice
Read the advice and complete each sentence below in English with one bit of relevant advice from the article.
Quand on ne se sent pas très bien en vacances, il faut écouter son propre corps. Voici des choses évidentes qu’on peut faire.
D’abord, évitez de sortir pendant les heures les plus chaudes (entre midi et trois heures). Suivez l’exemple des habitants locaux et restez au lit et dormez !
Si vous êtes fatigué, n’organisez pas trop de visites. Passez une journée au bord de la piscine ou à la plage.
Parfois, on n’aime pas toujours la nourriture différente. Si vous n’avez pas faim, continuez à boire de l’eau. Ou bien, mangez quelque chose de très simple, comme des fruits.
Attention ! Si vous êtes gravement malade, appelez un médecin et prenez un rendez-vous.
*En cas d’urgences, n’hésitez pas à aller directement à l’hôpital le plus près.
*En cas d’urgences - In case of emergency
- When you don’t feel too well on holiday, you should …
When you don’t feel too well on holiday, you should listen to your own body.
- Firstly, avoid …
Firstly, avoid going out during the hottest hours / between midday and 3pm.
- Follow the example of the local residents and…
Follow the example of the local residents and stay in bed / sleep.
- If you are tired, don’t …
If you are tired, don’t organise too many trips.
- If you are not hungry, keep …
If you are not hungry, keep drinking water.
- Eat…
Eat something simple / some fruit.
- If you are seriously ill, …
If you are seriously ill, call a doctor / make a doctor’s appointment.
- In case of emergency…
In case of emergency, don’t hesitate to go straight to hospital / go to the nearest hospital.
Click or tap on Show more to read a translation.
When you don’t feel too well on holiday, you should listen to your own body. Here are some obvious things you can do.
Firstly, avoid going out during the hottest hours (between midday and 3pm). Follow the example of the local residents and stay in bed and sleep.
If you are tired, don’t organise too many trips. Spend a day by the pool or on the beach.
Sometimes we don’t like different foods. If you are not hungry, keep drinking water. Or else something very simple such as fruit.
Be careful! If you are seriously ill, call a doctor and make an appointment.
In case of emergency, do not hesitate to go directly to the nearest hospital.
Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful vocabulary to use when describing illnesses and health conditions.
Higher Tier – Vocabulary – Illness
Parts of the body:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l’œil | eye |
| la peau | skin |
| le sang | blood |
Useful vocabulary for describing illnesses and accidents includes:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| blesser, se blesser | to injure, be injured |
| brûler | to burn, be on fire |
| casser, se casser | to break |
| se sentir | to feel |
| souffrir | to suffer |
| Je me sens affreux/affreuse. | I feel awful. |
| Je me sens terrible. | I feel terrible. |
| Je suis extrêmement fatigué(e). | I am extremely tired. |
| Bien suivre son traitement | to follow one’s treatment correctly |
All vocabulary listed in this guide can be found on the vocabulary sheet below.
Higher Tier – Grammar – The imperative
The imperative can also be used in the nous form to say ‘Let’s’ followed by a verb. For example:
Mangeons quelque chose ! - Let’s eat something!
Essayons ce traitement. - Let’s try this treatment.
This is formed by taking the nous form of the verb for regular er,ir, and re verbs and for irregular verbs such as aller (to go) and faire (to do/make).
| Infinitive | Nous form | Let’s form | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| jouer (to play) | Nous jouons | Jouons ! | Let’s play! |
| finir (to finish) | Nous finissons | Finissons ! | Let’s finish! |
| descendre (to go down) | Nous descendons | Descendons ! | Let’s go down! |
| aller (to go) | Nous allons | Allons ! | Let’s go! |
| faire (to do/make) | Nous faisons | Faisons ! | Let’s do/make! |
Irregular imperative forms - ‘Être’
Être (to be) is irregular in the imperative and takes a different form.
| Infinitive | Tu form (singular informal) | Vous form (you plural informal or you polite) | Nous form |
|---|---|---|---|
| être (to be) | Sois ! (Be!) | Soyez ! (Be!) | Soyons… ! (Let's be…!) |
For example:
Sois patient ! - Be patient!
Soyez calme ! - Be calm!
Soyons vite ! - Let’s be quick!
Higher Tier - Listening practice
Listen to four students describing their symptoms. For each person note down the following information:
one thing that is wrong
the cause of the problem
Student A
| One thing that is wrong | The cause of the problem |
|---|---|
| headache | bike accident |
Transcript
J’ai mal à la tête. Ça dure depuis deux jours parce que j’ai eu un accident de vélo, le weekend dernier.
Translation
I have a headache. It’s lasted for two days because I had a bike accident, last weekend.
Student B
| One thing that is wrong | The cause of the problem |
|---|---|
| broken leg / can't walk | fell over playing football |
Transcript
Je pense que je me suis cassé la jambe ! Je ne peux pas marcher ! Je suis tombé pendant le match de foot.
Translation
I think I have broken my leg! I can’t walk! I fell over during the football match.
Student C
| One thing that is wrong | The cause of the problem |
|---|---|
| red skin / very hot | stayed too long in the sun / sunburn |
Transcript
Ma peau est toute rouge et j’ai très chaud. Je suis resté(e) trop longtemps au soleil à la plage.
Translation
My skin is all red and I’m very hot. I stayed too long in the sun at the beach.
Student D
| One thing that is wrong | The cause of the problem |
|---|---|
| feet hurt / really tired | took part in a race / ran 10 km |
Transcript
J’ai mal aux pieds et je suis vraiment fatigué. J’ai participé à une course de dix kilomètres, hier. C’était trop dur !
Translation
My feet hurt and I’m really tired. I took part in a 10 km race yesterday. It was too hard!
Higher Tier - Vocabulary sheet
Click or tap on the image below for a list of useful Higher Tier vocabulary to use when describing illnesses and health conditions.
Now you have practised the key vocabulary and grammar needed for talking about illnesses and health conditions, why not have a look at the Describing myself and others in French guide?
Careers advice and tips from BBC Bitesize
Future careers, further studies and the world of work - we're here to help with advice from experts and from young people who've found their path.
More on Healthy living and lifestyle
Find out more by working through a topic
- count1 of 4
