Making a medical appointment usually involves a small set of repeated tasks: asking for a visit, agreeing on a day and time, and changing the plan if necessary. This topic builds on familiar days, dates, and clock times and adds the expressions needed to manage an appointment by phone or at a reception desk.
A brief reason for the visit may also be useful when you book. A short description of the problem is enough when the person arranging the visit only needs to know what kind of appointment you need.
Core appointment words and expressions
These words and short expressions cover the main actions involved in arranging an appointment and the discussions of time that come up during scheduling:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un rendez-vous | an appointment |
| prendre rendez-vous | to make an appointment |
| déplacer un rendez-vous | to reschedule an appointment |
| annuler un rendez-vous | to cancel an appointment |
| confirmer un rendez-vous | to confirm an appointment |
| une disponibilité | an available time / availability |
| un créneau | a time slot |
| être disponible | to be available |
| cette semaine | this week |
| la semaine prochaine | next week |
| le matin | in the morning |
| l'après-midi | in the afternoon |
| plus tôt | earlier |
| plus tard | later |
| si possible | if possible |
| un empêchement | something that prevents you from coming |
Disponibilité refers to a time when an appointment is possible. Un créneau is a particular slot in the schedule. Plus tôt and plus tard refer to earlier or later when discussing the time of an appointment.
Ask for an appointment
A polite request can identify the doctor, ask about availability, and give a short reason for the visit. These sentences cover the information that commonly matters when you first schedule an appointment:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Bonjour, je voudrais prendre rendez-vous avec le docteur Martin. | Hello, I'd like to make an appointment with Dr. Martin. |
| Vous avez un créneau cette semaine ? | Do you have a time slot this week? |
| C'est pour une douleur au dos. | It's for back pain. |
| J'aimerais un rendez-vous la semaine prochaine, si possible. | I'd like an appointment next week, if possible. |
Je voudrais and j'aimerais are standard polite ways to make the request by phone or at a reception desk. C'est pour... gives a brief reason for the visit and can be followed by the symptom or problem.
Schedule and confirm dates and times
Scheduling an appointment requires you to state when you are available, accept a proposed time, or ask for a different one. These examples show how to make those choices and confirm what has been agreed:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je suis disponible lundi matin. | I'm available Monday morning. |
| Mardi à 10 heures, ça me va. | Tuesday at 10 works for me. |
| Je ne suis pas disponible l'après-midi. | I'm not available in the afternoon. |
| Vous avez un créneau plus tôt ? | Do you have an earlier time slot? |
| Donc, c'est bien jeudi 24 à 14 h 30 ? | So, it's Thursday the 24th at 2:30 p.m., right? |
| Oui, je confirme. | Yes, I confirm. |
Ça me va accepts a proposed time. Je confirme is more explicit and is useful when the day and time have already been stated.
Appointment times in French often use the 24-hour clock. A time written as 14 h 30 is read as two thirty in the afternoon in English.
Change or cancel an appointment
Changing an appointment involves three different actions: saying that you cannot attend, moving the appointment to another time, or canceling it completely. These words and expressions distinguish those actions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| déplacer un rendez-vous | to reschedule an appointment |
| annuler un rendez-vous | to cancel an appointment |
| un empêchement | something that prevents you from coming |
| ne pas pouvoir venir | to be unable to come |
| un autre créneau | another time slot |
| une autre date | another date |
| plus tôt | earlier |
| plus tard | later |
Déplacer un rendez-vous means keeping the appointment but changing its date or time.
Annuler un rendez-vous means that the appointment will no longer take place.
Un empêchement gives a neutral reason for being unable to attend without explaining the reason in detail.
Use these expressions when you contact the office to explain the problem and arrange the next steps:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'ai un empêchement et je voudrais déplacer mon rendez-vous. | Something has come up, and I'd like to reschedule my appointment. |
| Je ne peux pas venir à 15 heures. | I can't come at 3 p.m. |
| Est-ce que je peux déplacer mon rendez-vous à jeudi matin ? | Can I move my appointment to Thursday morning? |
| Est-ce qu'il y a un autre créneau cette semaine ? | Is there another time slot this week? |
| Je voudrais un rendez-vous plus tard dans la journée. | I'd like an appointment later in the day. |
| Je voudrais annuler mon rendez-vous de demain. | I'd like to cancel my appointment for tomorrow. |
When you want another appointment, déplacer makes that clear. Use annuler when you want to cancel without arranging a replacement at the same time.
From learning to practice
When you arrange an appointment by phone, listen closely when the day and time are repeated near the end of the conversation. Check the final date and time before the call ends, especially after changing an appointment or choosing between several available slots.