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How to Say ‘Is it serious, doctor?’ in French

C'est grave, docteur ?

suh eh grahv dok-TUR

[suh eh grahv dok-TUR]

🇫🇷 In France: Calling your doctor just docteur, without a name, is normal and politely respectful in France.

Phrase Breakdown

C'est grave,

suh eh grahv

Is it serious,

'C'est' means 'it is'. Say 'say GRAHV' and pause briefly at the comma.

Example

Ce n'est pas grave.

It's not serious.

Words in this phrase

[suh]

Used to refer to a thing previously mentioned.

Example

C'est incroyable.

It is incredible.

est

[eh]

Third person singular present of be.

Example

C'est important.

It is important.

grave

[grahv]

serious

Adjective meaning serious or severe, often about health.

Example

Ce n'est pas une maladie grave.

It's not a serious illness.

docteur ?

dok-TUR

doctor?

This is how you address a doctor directly. Say 'dok-TUHR' with a French throaty 'r' and rising intonation.

Example

Bonjour, docteur.

Hello, doctor.

Words in this phrase

docteur

[dok-TUR]

doctor

A polite way to address a doctor or veterinarian.

Example

Docteur, ma poule respire mal.

Doctor, my hen is breathing badly.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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