La Pharmacie — French pharmacy vocabulary | French Vocabulary Chart
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French pharmacy vocabulary. In France, the pharmacy — look for the glowing green cross — is your first stop for any minor ailment, and the pharmacist doubles as a free health adviser. Start with “l’ordonnance”, the prescription, and the other eleven words will slot neatly into place. Use it to build the French words you need, then test yourself with the games below.
La Pharmacie
French pharmacy vocabulary
Les essentiels ⭐
Pour aller plus loin 📚
Les phrases 💬
🎬 The 20-second version
5 quick questions on « La Pharmacie » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →
📘 Good to know
- For minor ailments the French ask the pharmacist first — free expert advice, no appointment. Spot one by the flashing croix verte.
- Pain is avoir mal à: say j’ai mal à la tête, au ventre, à la gorge — never ‘ma tête fait mal’.
- Medicine you take is un médicament — la médecine is the science, and une drogue is strictly an illegal drug.
- Sundays and 2 a.m. are covered: every area has a pharmacie de garde (duty chemist) — the rota is posted on the pharmacy door.
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
the pharmacy (chemist’s) = la ___ (fill the blank)
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pharmacie
the pharmacist = le ___ (fill the blank)
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pharmacien / la pharmacienne
the medicine = le ___ (fill the blank)
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médicament
🎮 Practise this with games
🎯 More practice — vocabulary recall — both directions
How do you say « the pharmacy (chemist’s) »? (recall)
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la pharmacie
What does « le pharmacien / la pharmacienne » mean? (recall)
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the pharmacist
How do you say « the medicine »? (recall)
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le médicament
What does « l’ordonnance » mean? (recall)
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the prescription
How do you say « the tablet (pill) »? (recall)
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le comprimé
What does « le mal de tête » mean? (recall)
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the headache
How do you say « the cold (illness) »? (recall)
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le rhume
What does « la douleur » mean? (recall)
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the pain
Go further: La Santé et le Bien-être — the full health guide.
French pharmacy vocabulary vocabulary — FAQ
How do you say common French pharmacy vocabulary words in French?
For example: the pharmacy (chemist’s) is « la pharmacie », the pharmacist is « le pharmacien / la pharmacienne », the medicine is « le médicament ». The full list above has 12 essential words, each with audio so you can hear the pronunciation.
What are the most useful French pharmacy vocabulary words to learn first?
Start with the basics: la pharmacie (the pharmacy (chemist’s)), le pharmacien / la pharmacienne (the pharmacist), le médicament (the medicine), l’ordonnance (the prescription), le comprimé (the tablet (pill)). Master these core French words before moving on to the rest of the list.
How can I memorise French pharmacy vocabulary vocabulary?
Learn the words in small themed groups, say each one out loud with the audio, and use it in a short sentence about your own life. Spaced repetition is what makes new vocabulary stick — see our guide to learning French vocabulary that sticks.
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