How do you ask for medicine at a French pharmacy?

Start by describing the problem, then ask for the product: J'ai mal à la gorge, vous avez quelque chose ? ('I have a sore throat, do you have something?'), or directly Vous avez du sirop pour la toux ? ('Do you have cough syrup?'). The pharmacist can advise you on minor ailments without a prescription.

How do you say 'I have a sore throat' in French?

J'ai mal à la gorge (zhay mal ah lah gorzh) — literally 'I have pain at the throat'. The pattern j'ai mal à… works for any body part: j'ai mal à la tête (headache), j'ai mal au ventre (stomach ache).

What does 'j'ai le nez bouché' mean?

J'ai le nez bouché means 'my nose is blocked' — a stuffy, congested nose. Bouché means 'blocked' or 'stopped up'. The opposite complaint, a runny nose, is j'ai le nez qui coule.

Do you need a prescription at a pharmacy in France?

For many medicines, yes — you hand over your prescription with J'ai une ordonnance ('I have a prescription'). But French pharmacists also sell plenty of things over the counter and are trained to advise on minor problems, so it's always worth asking.

How do you find a pharmacy in France?

Look for the flashing green cross — la croix verte — which every pharmacie displays. Outside opening hours, a pharmacie de garde (on-duty pharmacy) handles emergencies; the address is posted on the door of any closed pharmacy.

French Pharmacy Phrases: What to Say at the Pharmacie

You catch a cold on holiday in France, spot the flashing green cross, and walk in — then freeze. A pharmacie is one of the most useful stops for a traveller: the pharmacist can advise on minor problems and sell you plenty without a prescription. My new video is a quick role-play at the counter; here are the exact phrases, with pronunciation and what the pharmacist says back.

🎬 A role-play at the French pharmacy — the phrases you'll actually use, said out loud.

What you say: describe the problem

J'ai mal à la gorge. — I have a sore throat. (zhay mal ah lah gorzh)
J'ai le nez bouché. — My nose is blocked. (zhay luh nay boo-shay)

The pattern j'ai mal à… works for any body part: j'ai mal à la tête (headache), j'ai mal au ventre (stomach ache).

What you say: ask for what you need

Vous avez un spray nasal ? — Do you have a nasal spray? (voo-zah-vay uhn spray nah-zal)
Vous avez des mouchoirs ? — Do you have tissues? (voo-zah-vay day moo-shwar)
Vous avez du sirop pour la toux ? — Do you have cough syrup? (voo-zah-vay dew see-roh poor lah too)
J'ai une ordonnance. — I have a prescription. (zhay ewn or-doh-nonss)
Je peux payer par carte ? — Can I pay by card? (zhuh puh pay-yay par kart)

What the pharmacist says back

Half of understanding is knowing the reply. Listen for these:

Bonjour, je comprends. — Hello, I understand.
Vous avez une ordonnance ? — Do you have a prescription?
Voici vos médicaments. — Here are your medicines.
Oui, bien sûr. — Yes, of course.
Ça fera quinze euros. — That'll be fifteen euros.

Good to know about French pharmacies

Every pharmacie shows la croix verte, the green cross. The pharmacist is a trained health professional who will happily advise on a cough or a headache, so don't be shy about describing your symptom. Outside opening hours, look for the pharmacie de garde (the on-duty pharmacy) — its address is posted on the door of any closed one.

Practice the whole visit out loud

Play the video again and say the customer's lines back, in order: greet, describe the problem, ask for the product, hand over the prescription, pay. Running the whole visit once out loud makes it feel automatic when you're really standing at the counter. Heading to France? Pair this with supermarket vocabulary in French. And if you want to rehearse real situations with feedback, I teach one-to-one online — you can book a free 30-minute trial lesson or see how I work as a French tutor in Bangkok & online.