Parts of the Body
8.3.1. The Main Idea
To talk about the body in French, use le corps, meaning the body.
mon corps | my body |
le corps | the body |
une partie du corps | a part of the body |
les parties du corps | parts of the body |
Many body parts use le, la, l’, or les.
8.3.2. Head and Face
la tête | head |
le visage | face |
les cheveux | hair |
le front | forehead |
l’œil | eye |
les yeux | eyes |
l’oreille | ear |
les oreilles | ears |
le nez | nose |
la bouche | mouth |
les lèvres | lips |
la dent | tooth |
les dents | teeth |
la langue | tongue |
8.3.3. Upper Body
le cou | neck |
l’épaule | shoulder |
les épaules | shoulders |
le bras | arm |
les bras | arms |
le coude | elbow |
les coudes | elbows |
la main | hand |
les mains | hands |
le doigt | finger |
les doigts | fingers |
la poitrine | chest |
le dos | back |
le ventre | stomach / belly |
8.3.4. Lower Body
la jambe | leg |
les jambes | legs |
le genou | knee |
les genoux | knees |
le pied | foot |
les pieds | feet |
l’orteil | toe |
les orteils | toes |
8.3.5. Internal Body Parts
le cœur | heart |
le cerveau | brain |
les poumons | lungs |
l’estomac | stomach |
le muscle | muscle |
les muscles | muscles |
l’os | bone |
les os | bones |
la peau | skin |
8.3.6. Talking About Pain
To say that something hurts, French often uses avoir mal à.
J’ai mal à la tête. | I have a headache. / My head hurts. |
J’ai mal au dos. | My back hurts. |
J’ai mal au ventre. | My stomach hurts. |
J’ai mal aux pieds. | My feet hurt. |
The form changes depending on the body part:
à + le = au | au dos |
à + la = à la | à la tête |
à + l’ = à l’ | à l’épaule |
à + les = aux | aux pieds |
8.3.7. Examples with Pain
J’ai mal à la tête. | I have a headache. |
J’ai mal à l’oreille. | My ear hurts. |
J’ai mal au cou. | My neck hurts. |
J’ai mal à l’épaule. | My shoulder hurts. |
J’ai mal au bras. | My arm hurts. |
J’ai mal à la main. | My hand hurts. |
J’ai mal au genou. | My knee hurts. |
J’ai mal aux jambes. | My legs hurt. |
8.3.8. Describing the Body
J’ai les cheveux noirs. | I have black hair. |
J’ai les yeux bruns. | I have brown eyes. |
Il a les cheveux courts. | He has short hair. |
Elle a les cheveux longs. | She has long hair. |
Il est grand. | He is tall. |
Elle est petite. | She is short. |
In French, body descriptions often use avoir + definite article:
J’ai les yeux bruns. | I have brown eyes. |
J’ai les cheveux noirs. | I have black hair. |
8.3.9. Useful Adjectives
grand | tall / big, masculine |
grande | tall / big, feminine |
petit | short / small, masculine |
petite | short / small, feminine |
court | short, masculine |
courte | short, feminine |
long | long, masculine |
longue | long, feminine |
noir | black, masculine |
noire | black, feminine |
brun | brown, masculine |
brune | brown, feminine |
blond | blond, masculine |
blonde | blond, feminine |
8.3.10. Core Patterns
le corps | the body |
mon corps | my body |
J’ai mal à ___ . | My ___ hurts. / I have pain in ___. |
J’ai mal au dos. | My back hurts. |
J’ai mal à la tête. | I have a headache. |
J’ai mal aux pieds. | My feet hurt. |
J’ai les yeux ___ . | I have ___ eyes. |
J’ai les cheveux ___ . | I have ___ hair. |
8.3.11. Practice
my body |
the head |
the eyes |
the mouth |
the arm |
the hand |
the leg |
the foot |
I have a headache. |
My back hurts. |
My feet hurt. |
I have black hair. |
I have brown eyes. |
8.3.12. Answers
my body | mon corps |
the head | la tête |
the eyes | les yeux |
the mouth | la bouche |
the arm | le bras |
the hand | la main |
the leg | la jambe |
the foot | le pied |
I have a headache. | J’ai mal à la tête. |
My back hurts. | J’ai mal au dos. |
My feet hurt. | J’ai mal aux pieds. |
I have black hair. | J’ai les cheveux noirs. |
I have brown eyes. | J’ai les yeux bruns. |
8.3.13. Short Dialogue
A : Tu as mal où ? | A: Where does it hurt? |
B : J’ai mal à la tête et au dos. | B: I have a headache and my back hurts. |
A : Tu devrais te reposer. | A: You should rest. |
B : Oui, merci. | B: Yes, thank you. |
8.3.14. Checkpoint
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to name common parts of the body, say where something hurts with avoir mal à, and describe basic features such as hair and eye colour.