At the Pharmacy
Essential phrases for getting medicine, explaining basic symptoms, and asking about dosage at a French pharmacy.
Key Phrases
Vous avez un truc pour le rhume ?
casualDo you have something for a cold?
Using 'un truc' (a thing) is very common in everyday spoken French.
Je cherche un médicament pour le rhume.
neutralI am looking for medicine for a cold.
A clear, standard way to ask a pharmacist for help.
J'ai super mal à la tête.
casualI have a really bad headache.
'Super' is frequently used in spoken French before adjectives to mean 'very'.
J'ai mal à la tête.
neutralI have a headache.
The basic, factual way to state where you feel pain.
J'ai mal au ventre.
neutralI have a stomach ache.
'Le ventre' refers broadly to the belly or stomach area.
Je cherche du paracétamol.
neutralI am looking for some paracetamol.
Paracetamol is the most widely used over-the-counter painkiller in France.
Voici mon ordonnance.
neutralHere is my prescription.
Say this when handing over the paper prescription from your doctor.
C'est combien de fois par jour ?
casualHow many times a day is it?
A natural, conversational way to confirm the dosage.
Je prends le médicament quand ?
neutralWhen do I take the medicine?
Repeating the noun is much clearer than using pronouns when you are a beginner.
Ça coûte combien ?
casualHow much does it cost?
A very common, straightforward way to ask the price.
C'est combien, s'il vous plaît ?
politeHow much is it, please?
Adding 'please' makes this standard phrase perfectly polite.