blouses médicales
The English phrase "scrubs" can be translated into French as blouses médicales.
The term refers to the clothing worn while performing surgery.
Meaning: clothing worn while performing surgery (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase blouses médicales is composed of blouses (blouses/tunics) and médicales (medical).
Which one should you use?
A common way to refer to the complete set of surgical scrubs is tenue de bloc, which is the standard professional way to describe the specific clothing worn in an operating room. In more casual speech, one might use les fringues d'hôpital to mean hospital clothes.
How does it change in a sentence?
While English uses the plural 'scrubs' to refer to the whole outfit, French often uses the singular la blouse médicale to refer to the top or the garment in general.
Did you know?
- In French medical slang, surgical scrubs are sometimes called pyjama de bloc, literally 'operating room pajamas'.
- While blouse means 'scrubs' in a medical context, in a general fashion context it refers to a feminine, loose-fitting shirt. This creates a linguistic overlap where the same word describes both a surgical garment and a piece of women's dress wear.
- The phrase tenue de bloc literally translates to 'block outfit'. In French hospitals, the operating theater is referred to as le bloc opératoire or simply le bloc.
Examples in context
- Où puis-je trouver une blouse médicale ?Where can I find some scrubs?
- Hier, j'ai porté une tenue de bloc opératoire lors de mon stage à l'hôpital.Yesterday, I wore scrubs during my internship at the hospital.
- J'adore le cinéma français ! Dans le film, les médecins sont souvent en blouse médicale.I love French cinema! In the movie, doctors are often wearing scrubs.
- Il a acheté de nouvelles blouses médicales.He bought new medical scrubs.
- Les blouses médicales sont bleues.The medical scrubs are blue.
- Où sont mes blouses médicales ?Where are my medical scrubs?
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are in a hospital locker room.
- EmmaGabriel, tu as vu mes blouses médicales ?Gabriel, have you seen my medical scrubs?
- GabrielJe crois qu'elles sont sur la chaise.I think they are on the chair.
- EmmaMerci, elles sont très confortables.Thanks, they are very comfortable.
- GabrielBon courage pour ton opération.Good luck with your surgery.
