Body words in French, covering essential vocabulary for parts of the body, internal organs, senses, and common descriptive terms.
Building a strong foundation in French body vocabulary helps you describe yourself, understand health topics, and communicate more naturally. This guide covers key categories from outer parts to internal organs and common descriptive words.
Part 1: Parts of the Body
Here are the most essential body parts by section:
Head & Face
| French Singular (Masculine/Feminine) | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la tête (f) | les têtes | head | heads | J'ai mal à la tête. | I have a headache. |
| le visage (m) | les visages | face | faces | Elle a un beau visage. | She has a beautiful face. |
| le front (m) | les fronts | forehead | foreheads | Il a de la sueur sur le front. | He has sweat on his forehead. |
| l'œil (m) / les yeux | les yeux | eye / eyes | eyes | J'ai un grain de sable dans l'œil. | I have sand in my eye. |
| la bouche (f) | les bouches | mouth | mouths | Ouvre la bouche, s'il te plaît. | Open your mouth, please. |
| le nez (m) | les nez | nose | noses | Mon nez est bouché. | My nose is stuffy. |
| l'oreille (f) | les oreilles | ear | ears | Je n'entends rien avec mon oreille gauche. | I can't hear with my left ear. |
| la joue (f) | les joues | cheek | cheeks | Elle a des joues roses. | She has rosy cheeks. |
| le menton (m) | les mentons | chin | chins | Il se gratte le menton. | He scratches his chin. |
| le sourcil (m) | les sourcils | eyebrow | eyebrows | Elle a de beaux sourcils. | She has beautiful eyebrows. |
J'ai un grain de sable dans l'___ (eye).
What is the French singular word for 'eye'?
l'œil
'L'œil' is the singular French word for 'eye,' even though the plural is 'les yeux.'
Upper Body
| French Singular (Masculine/Feminine) | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le cou (m) | les cous | neck | necks | J'ai une écharpe autour du cou. | I have a scarf around my neck. |
| l'épaule (f) | les épaules | shoulder | shoulders | Je me suis fait mal à l'épaule. | I hurt my shoulder. |
| le bras (m) | les bras | arm | arms | Il a un tatouage sur le bras. | He has a tattoo on his arm. |
| le coude (m) | les coudes | elbow | elbows | Je me suis cogné le coude. | I bumped my elbow. |
| la main (f) | les mains | hand | hands | Lave-toi les mains. | Wash your hands. |
| le doigt (m) | les doigts | finger | fingers | J'ai coupé mon doigt. | I cut my finger. |
| le pouce (m) | les pouces | thumb | thumbs | Utilise ton pouce pour cliquer. | Use your thumb to click. |
| la poitrine (f) | les poitrines | chest | chests | Il a une douleur à la poitrine. | He has chest pain. |
| le dos (m) | les dos | back | backs | J'ai mal au dos. | I have a backache. |
| l'estomac (m) | les estomacs | stomach | stomachs | Mon estomac gargouille. | My stomach is growling. |
Lower Body
| French Singular (Masculine/Feminine) | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le ventre (m) | les ventres | belly / abdomen | bellies | J'ai mal au ventre. | I have a stomachache. |
| la taille (f) | les tailles | waist | waists | Elle a une taille fine. | She has a slim waist. |
| la hanche (f) | les hanches | hip | hips | Il a mal à la hanche. | He has hip pain. |
| la jambe (f) | les jambes | leg | legs | Elle a de longues jambes. | She has long legs. |
| le genou (m) | les genoux | knee | knees | Je me suis blessé au genou. | I injured my knee. |
| le pied (m) | les pieds | foot | feet | Mes pieds sont froids. | My feet are cold. |
| les orteils (m) | — | toes | — | J'ai orteils gelés. | My toes are frozen. |
Part 2: Internal Organs
Understanding internal organ vocabulary is useful for medical topics and descriptions:
| French Singular | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| le cœur | — | heart | hearts | Mon cœur bat vite. | My heart is beating fast. |
| le poumon | les poumons | lung | lungs | Les poumons filtrent l'air. | The lungs filter the air. |
| le foie | — | liver | — | Le foie détoxifie le corps. | The liver detoxifies the body. |
| l'estomac (m) | les estomacs | stomach | stomachs | L'estomac produit des sucs digestifs. | The stomach produces digestive juices. |
| le rein | les reins | kidney | kidneys | Les reins filtrent le sang. | The kidneys filter the blood. |
| l'intestin (m) | les intestins | intestine | intestines | Les intestins absorbent les nutriments. | The intestines absorb nutrients. |
| le cerveau | — | brain | — | Le cerveau contrôle les mouvements. | The brain controls movements. |
Part 3: Senses
Here’s how to talk about the five French senses and related body parts:
| French Singular (Masculine/Feminine) | French Plural | English Singular | English Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| la vue (f) | — | sight | — | La vue est un sens important. | Sight is an important sense. |
| l'ouïe (f) | — | hearing | — | L'ouïe est très fine chez les chiens. | Hearing is very sharp in dogs. |
| l'odorat (m) | — | smell | — | Son odorat est excellent. | Her sense of smell is excellent. |
| le goût (m) | — | taste | — | Le goût du chocolat est délicieux. | The taste of chocolate is delicious. |
| le toucher (m) | — | touch | — | Le toucher est un sens tactile. | Touch is a tactile sense. |
Part 4: Describing the Body
Here are common French adjectives and terms to describe appearance, sensations, and condition:
| French Adjective/Phrase | English Equivalent | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| grand(e) | tall | Elle est grande. | She is tall. |
| petit(e) | short / small | Je suis petit. | I am short. |
| maigre | thin | Il est maigre. | He is thin. |
| gros(se) | fat / big | Elle est grosse. | She is big. |
| musclé(e) | muscular | Il est musclé. | He is muscular. |
| fort(e) | strong | Elle est forte. | She is strong. |
| faible | weak | Il est faible. | He is weak. |
| fatigué(e) | tired | Je suis fatigué. | I am tired. |
| malade | sick | Elle est malade. | She is sick. |
| en bonne santé | healthy | Il est en bonne santé. | He is healthy. |
Understanding these foundational body words in French will help you confidently describe yourself, talk about health, and navigate everyday conversations — all while laying the groundwork for more advanced topics.
Elle est ___.
What is the French word for 'tall' when describing a woman?
grande
'Grande' is the feminine form of 'tall' in French, used here for 'elle.'
Flashcards (1 of 49)
- English Singular: head
- English Plural: heads
- English Example: I have a headache.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
