After the examination, the doctor may send you for a sample or an image. The name of the test is the thing you go to have done.
For other scans, see medical imaging.
Names of common tests
A blood draw, a broader lab test, and an X-ray are different tests. The last word is the outcome, not another test:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une prise de sang | a blood test |
| une analyse | a lab test, an analysis |
| une radio | an X-ray |
| les résultats | the results |
Une prise de sang is a blood draw. Une analyse is a broader word for a lab test. Une radio is an X-ray.
Les résultats are the outcome of the test. They are not the test itself.
Tests the doctor orders
The doctor names a test you still have to go and have done:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Il faut faire une prise de sang. | You need to have a blood test. |
| Il faut faire une radio. | You need to have an X-ray. |
From learning to practice
When the doctor says il faut faire and then the name of a test, that test is the next step. It is not something happening in the office at that moment.