French Phrase
Quelles questions est‑ce que je dois poser au médecin ?
Meaning
The speaker is asking for advice about the most important or relevant questions to bring up during a medical appointment. It conveys a sense of preparation and responsibility for one’s own health.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are about to see a doctor, either for a routine check‑up or a specific health concern, and you want to make sure you cover all necessary topics. It’s also handy when a friend asks you for tips on how to prepare for a medical visit.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Quellesquestionsest‑cequejedoisposeraumédecin?
Quelles (interrogative adjective)
‘Quelles’ agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies; here it is feminine plural to match ‘questions’.
est‑ce que (question particle)
A neutral way to turn a statement into a yes‑no or wh‑question without changing word order.
devoir (modal verb)
‘dois’ is the first‑person singular present of ‘devoir’, expressing obligation or recommendation.
poser (transitive verb)
Means ‘to ask’ (a question) or ‘to pose’; it takes a direct object (the questions) and an indirect object introduced by ‘à’.
au = à + le
The preposition ‘à’ contracts with the masculine singular article ‘le’ to form ‘au’, meaning ‘to the’.
🗨In Conversation
Quelles questions est‑ce que je dois poser au médecin ?
What questions should I ask the doctor?
Tu peux demander quels sont les effets secondaires du traitement et si tu dois changer ton alimentation.
You can ask about the side effects of the treatment and whether you need to change your diet.
✕Common Mistakes
Quel questions est‑ce que je dois poser au médecin ?
‘Quel’ is singular; the noun ‘questions’ is plural and feminine, so you need ‘Quelles’.
Quelles questions est‑ce que je doit poser au médecin ?
‘Doit’ is the third‑person singular form; the subject is ‘je’, so you must use ‘dois’.
Quelles questions est‑ce que je dois poser à le médecin ?
The preposition ‘à’ contracts with ‘le’ to become ‘au’; saying ‘au le’ is redundant.
Quelles questions est‑ce que je dois poser le médecin ?
‘Poser’ takes the thing you ask as a direct object; the doctor is the indirect object introduced by ‘à’.
↔Alternatives
Quelles questions devrais‑je poser au médecin ?
What questions should I ask the doctor?
Quelles sont les questions à poser au médecin ?
What are the questions to ask the doctor?
Quelles questions faut‑il poser au médecin ?
What questions ought one to ask the doctor?
Cultural Tip
In France, medical appointments are usually brief, so doctors appreciate patients who come prepared with a concise list of questions. It’s polite to start with a brief description of your symptoms before diving into specific queries. Also, note that ‘médecin’ can refer to any doctor; if you need a specialist, specify ‘médecin généraliste’ or the specialty (e.g., ‘cardiologue’).