Dialogue
At the pharmacy in French: is my prescription item ready?
Practise a pharmacy phone call in French: ask about an ordered medicine, understand pas encore arrivé, and check when and how to collect it.
- A2
- 10 lines
- Practice mode
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Ask Est-ce que le médicament que j’ai commandé est arrivé ? to check arrival, then Est-ce que je peux venir le chercher ? to check collection. Commandé means ordered; prêt means ready.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Phone about yesterday’s order
Yesterday you left a prescription at the pharmacy, and the pharmacist ordered an item. Today you call to check it. Use practice mode to hide your lines, answer from the English cues, then reveal the French.
- Pharmacist
Pharmacie du Parc, bonjour.
English
Parc Pharmacy, hello.
- You
Bonjour, je vous appelle au sujet d’un médicament commandé hier.
Greet them and say you are calling about a medicine ordered yesterday.
English
Hello, I’m calling about a medicine ordered yesterday.
- Pharmacist
C’est à quel nom ?
English
What name is it under?
- You
Au nom de Martin. J’ai laissé mon ordonnance chez vous hier.
Give the name Martin and say you left your prescription yesterday.
English
Under the name Martin. I left my prescription with you yesterday.
- Pharmacist
Un instant, je vérifie. Oui, le médicament a été commandé, mais il n’est pas encore arrivé.
English
One moment, I’ll check. Yes, the medicine has been ordered, but it hasn’t arrived yet.
- You
D’accord. Il doit arriver quand ?
Ask when it is expected to arrive.
English
OK. When is it expected to arrive?
- Pharmacist
Demain après-midi, normalement. Nous vous appellerons quand il sera prêt.
English
Tomorrow afternoon, normally. We’ll call you when it’s ready.
- You
Très bien, j’attends votre appel. Qu’est-ce que je dois apporter pour venir le chercher ?
Say you will wait for the call, then ask what to bring for collection.
English
Very good, I’ll wait for your call. What should I bring to collect it?
- Pharmacist
Apportez votre carte Vitale, s’il vous plaît. Nous avons déjà votre ordonnance.
English
Bring your carte Vitale, please. We already have your prescription.
- You
Merci beaucoup. Je passerai après votre appel. Au revoir !
Thank them and confirm that you will come after their call.
English
Thank you very much. I’ll come by after your call. Goodbye!
How do you ask if your prescription is ready in French?
| You hear | Meaning | Your next question |
|---|---|---|
| Il a été commandé. | It has been ordered. | Il doit arriver quand ? |
| Il est arrivé. | It has arrived. | Est-ce que je peux venir le chercher ? |
| Il est prêt. | It is ready. | Qu’est-ce que je dois apporter ? |
Normalement gives an expected arrival time. The firm next step in this call is Nous vous appellerons quand il sera prêt. The pharmacist asks this customer for a carte Vitale, the French health insurance card, and already has the prescription. Use Qu’est-ce que je dois apporter ? to get the instructions for your own collection.
When the answer is yes
Votre médicament est prêt. Vous pouvez passer cet après-midi.
Your medicine is ready. You can come by this afternoon.
Merci. Jusqu’à quelle heure êtes-vous ouverts ?
Thank you. Until what time are you open?
Passer means to come by here; venir chercher means to come and collect.