French Phrase
Je vais te prescrire un médicament.
Meaning
Literally, ‘I am going to prescribe you a medication.’ A doctor or health‑care professional says this when they decide which drug the patient should take. It conveys a near‑future intention rather than a present‑time command.
When to use
Use this sentence in a medical setting—when a doctor, dentist, or pharmacist is speaking directly to a patient (usually in an informal or familiar context). In a formal or professional environment you would replace ‘te’ with ‘vous’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Jevaisteprescrireunmédicament.
Subject pronoun (Je)
The first‑person singular pronoun used before a verb.
Future proche (vais + infinitive)
‘Vais’ is the present tense of ‘aller’ used with an infinitive to express a near‑future action.
Indirect object pronoun (te)
‘Te’ replaces ‘to you’ and is placed before the infinitive in the future proche construction.
Verb (prescrire)
A regular -re verb meaning ‘to prescribe’; it takes an indirect object (the person receiving the prescription).
Indefinite article (un)
Used before a masculine singular noun to mean ‘a / one’.
Noun (médicament)
Masculine noun meaning ‘medicine, drug’.
🗨In Conversation
Je vais te prescrire un médicament.
I’m going to prescribe you a medication.
Merci, comment dois‑je le prendre ?
Thank you, how should I take it?
✕Common Mistakes
Je va te prescrire un médicament.
The verb must agree with the subject ‘Je’; use ‘vais’ not ‘va’.
Je vais te prescrire un médicament.
When speaking formally, replace ‘te’ with ‘vous’. Using ‘te’ with strangers can sound overly familiar.
↔Alternatives
Je vais te donner un médicament.
I’m going to give you a medication.
Je vais t’ordonner un traitement.
I’m going to order you a treatment.
Je vais vous prescrire un médicament.
I’m going to prescribe you a medication. (formal)
Cultural Tip
In French medical practice, doctors usually address adult patients with ‘vous’ to keep a respectful distance, especially the first time they meet. ‘Te’ is acceptable with children, close family members, or when a friendly rapport has already been established. Also, French prescriptions often include dosage instructions, so the follow‑up question about how to take the drug is very common.