Pediatric care providers may ask for concrete observations such as the child's temperature, when a symptom began, and whether vaccinations are current.
Build on vocabulary for medical symptoms by adding time, frequency, measurements, and comparisons with the child's normal routine.
Symptoms and changes in behavior
These words and expressions cover people, symptoms, and behavior changes that may come up when discussing a child's health:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un pédiatre / une pédiatre | a pediatrician |
| un nourrisson | an infant |
| la fièvre | fever |
| la température | temperature |
| l'appétit | appetite |
| la toux | cough |
| une éruption cutanée | a rash |
| prendre la température | to take someone's temperature |
| être irritable | to be irritable |
| être grognon / grognonne | to be cranky |
| être somnolent / somnolente | to be drowsy |
| manger moins que d'habitude | to eat less than usual |
| boire moins que d'habitude | to drink less than usual |
| dormir plus que d'habitude | to sleep more than usual |
| jouer moins que d'habitude | to play less than usual |
| refuser de manger | to refuse to eat |
| avoir du mal à se réveiller | to have difficulty waking up |
Grognon is an everyday word for a child who is unusually cranky. Irritable is more clinical and may appear in questions from a healthcare professional. Comparisons with d'habitude show that the important change is relative to the child's normal behavior.
These sentences add a time, a measurement, or a comparison with the child's usual routine:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il a de la fièvre depuis hier soir. | He has had a fever since last night. |
| Ce matin, elle avait 38,5 °C. | This morning, her temperature was 38.5°C. |
| Il a vomi deux fois ce matin. | He vomited twice this morning. |
| Elle mange beaucoup moins que d'habitude. | She is eating much less than usual. |
| Depuis hier, il joue moins et il dort davantage. | Since yesterday, he has been playing less and sleeping more. |
| Elle est plus irritable que d'habitude. | She is more irritable than usual. |
| Il n'est pas comme d'habitude. | He isn't acting like himself. |
The last sentence is useful when several small changes are noticeable but difficult to describe separately.
Questions during the consultation
These questions and answers model the kind of detail that may come up during a consultation:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Depuis quand a-t-il de la fièvre ? | How long has he had a fever? |
| Depuis hier soir. | Since last night. |
| Quelle température avez-vous mesurée ? | What temperature did you measure? |
| Ce matin, il avait 39 °C. | This morning, his temperature was 39°C. |
| Est-ce qu'elle mange normalement ? | Is she eating normally? |
| Elle mange un peu, mais moins que d'habitude. | She is eating a little, but less than usual. |
| Est-ce qu'il boit suffisamment ? | Is he drinking enough? |
| Oui, il boit régulièrement. | Yes, he is drinking regularly. |
| Est-ce qu'elle a vomi ? | Has she vomited? |
| Elle a vomi une fois cette nuit. | She vomited once during the night. |
| Est-ce qu'il dort comme d'habitude ? | Is he sleeping as usual? |
| Non, il se réveille beaucoup la nuit. | No, he wakes up a lot during the night. |
A short answer may be enough when it gives the requested fact. A temperature, number of episodes, starting time, or comparison with the child's usual routine makes the answer more precise.
Vaccination status
Questions about vaccination during a pediatric visit may focus on whether the child's vaccinations are current and when the most recent vaccine was given. Use these expressions to provide information:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| être à jour | to be up to date |
| un carnet de vaccination | a vaccination record |
| Ses vaccins sont-ils à jour ? | Are their vaccinations up to date? |
| Oui, ses vaccins sont à jour. | Yes, their vaccinations are up to date. |
| Je ne sais pas s'ils sont tous à jour. | I don't know if they are all up to date. |
| Quand a-t-elle reçu son dernier vaccin ? | When did she receive her last vaccination? |
| Elle a reçu son dernier vaccin en juin. | She received her last vaccination in June. |
| J'ai son carnet de vaccination avec moi. | I have their vaccination record with me. |
The expression être à jour is also used outside medicine for something that is current. In this context, it means that the vaccinations expected for the child are current.
Home-care instructions
After examining a child, a healthcare provider may give instructions about rest, fluids, temperature, medication, and when to make contact again. The exact advice depends on the child's age and condition, but these sentences model common language used in home-care instructions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Proposez-lui régulièrement à boire. | Offer them something to drink regularly. |
| Laissez-la se reposer. | Let her rest. |
| Surveillez sa température. | Monitor their temperature. |
| Donnez-lui le médicament comme indiqué. | Give them the medicine as directed. |
| Rappelez-nous si la fièvre persiste. | Call us back if the fever continues. |
| Revenez si son état s'aggrave. | Come back if their condition gets worse. |
| Consultez rapidement s'il a du mal à respirer. | Seek medical care promptly if he has trouble breathing. |
| Si elle devient difficile à réveiller, consultez rapidement. | If she becomes difficult to wake, seek medical care promptly. |
Words such as persister and s'aggraver commonly describe how a symptom or condition changes over time. In care instructions, they help identify the change that should lead to another call or visit.
From learning to practice
When you hear French in a pediatric consultation, listen for a comparison with the child's normal routine as well as the symptom itself.