At the Optician
Essential phrases for testing your eyes, presenting a prescription, and ordering glasses or contacts at a French optician.
Key Phrases
Bonjour, j'aurais besoin d'un examen de la vue parce que ma vue a baissé.
politeHello, I need an eye test because my eyesight has gotten worse.
A polite and clear way to explain why you need an appointment.
Il faut vraiment que je fasse un test de vue, je vois flou.
casualI really need to get an eye test, my vision is blurry.
"Voir flou" (to see blurry) is the standard conversational way to describe poor vision.
J'ai une ordonnance de mon ophtalmo qui date de la semaine dernière.
neutralI have a prescription from my eye doctor from last week.
"Ophtalmo" is the universally used abbreviation for "ophtalmologiste".
Voilà mon ordonnance, j'ai remarqué que ma myopie a beaucoup augmenté cette année.
casualHere's my prescription, I've noticed my nearsightedness has increased a lot this year.
Use "voilà" to naturally hand over documents like a prescription.
Est-ce que je pourrais essayer ces montures qui sont exposées dans la vitrine ?
politeCould I try on those frames that are displayed in the window?
Use the conditional "pourrais" for polite requests in stores.
Je cherche des montures qui sont assez légères pour les porter tous les jours.
casualI'm looking for frames that are light enough to wear every day.
A natural way to describe what you want while browsing the selection.
Est-ce que c'est nécessaire de prendre des verres amincis si ma correction n'est pas forte ?
politeIs it necessary to get thinned lenses if my prescription isn't very strong?
A polite way to question an upcharge or ask for professional advice.
Je voudrais des verres anti-reflets et amincis pour que ce soit plus léger.
neutralI'd like anti-reflective and thinned lenses so that it's lighter.
Uses the subjunctive "soit" to express a goal or consequence.
Est-ce que vous vendez aussi les lentilles de contact dont j'ai l'habitude ?
neutralDo you also sell the contact lenses I usually wear?
The relative pronoun "dont" is very common when talking about habits (avoir l'habitude de).
Elles glissent un peu sur mon nez, vous pouvez resserrer les branches derrière ?
casualThey slip a bit on my nose, can you tighten the arms at the back?
"Les branches" (branches) refers to the arms of the glasses.
Pourriez-vous m'envoyer un message dès que ma commande sera prête à être récupérée ?
politeCould you send me a message as soon as my order is ready to be picked up?
Remember to use the future tense (sera) after "dès que".
Vous savez à peu près quand mes nouvelles lunettes seront prêtes en magasin ?
neutralDo you know roughly when my new glasses will be ready in the store?
"À peu près" is a very common spoken filler meaning "roughly" or "about".
Serait-il possible de me préparer un devis pour ces lunettes avant de décider ?
politeWould it be possible to prepare a quote for these glasses before I decide?
Always ask for a "devis" (quote) before committing, as prices can be high.
Est-ce que vous prenez ma mutuelle, ou est-ce que je dois avancer les frais ?
neutralDo you work with my health insurance, or do I have to pay upfront?
"Avancer les frais" means to pay out of pocket before being reimbursed by insurance.