Body Parts in French 85 Easy Face and Body Words

Body and face parts in French are some of the first words you actually use in real life. At the doctor, at the pharmacy, in the gym, in skincare talk, with kids, in class, or just while trying to explain that yes, your ankle is the problem, not your entire leg.

This guide gives you 85 useful French body words plus 15 practical phrases you can use right away. The goal is simple: less frantic pointing, more actual French.

French also loves body-related expressions, which is fun until you realize you know the word for “croissant” but not “elbow.” Let’s fix that.

If you want more core French study help after this, try the French placement test, the French vocabulary test, or keep going with body actions and gestures in French and body care and hygiene in French. You can also browse more lessons on the Learn French hub.

Table of Contents

How To Say “Body Parts” In French

The general word for body is le corps (luh kor) = the body.

Example: Le corps humain est complexe.
Translation: The human body is complex.

Learner note: The final ps in corps is usually not pronounced in everyday speech. French spelling likes to keep a few silent letters around for decoration, apparently.

Head And Face Parts In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
la tête	lah tet	head	J’ai mal à la tête.	I have a headache.	Very common in health phrases.
le visage	luh vee-zazh	face	Elle a le visage rouge.	Her face is red.	Neutral word for face.
le front	luh fron	forehead	Il a touché son front.	He touched his forehead.	The final t is silent.
l’œil	luhy	eye	J’ai quelque chose dans l’œil.	I have something in my eye.	Plural is irregular: les yeux.
les yeux	lay zyuh	eyes	Elle a les yeux bleus.	She has blue eyes.	Liaison in les yeux.
la paupière	lah poh-pyehr	eyelid	Ma paupière est irritée.	My eyelid is irritated.	Useful for health and beauty topics.
le cil	luh seel	eyelash	J’ai un cil dans l’œil.	I have an eyelash in my eye.	Usually used in singular in that situation.
le sourcil	luh soor-seel	eyebrow	Il lève les sourcils.	He raises his eyebrows.	Common in descriptions.
le nez	luh nay	nose	J’ai le nez bouché.	My nose is blocked.	Very useful during cold season.
la narine	lah nah-reen	nostril	L’enfant a une narine bouchée.	The child has a blocked nostril.	More specific than nez.
la joue	lah zhoo	cheek	Elle a embrassé sa joue.	She kissed his cheek.	Soft j sound like in “measure.”
la bouche	lah boosh	mouth	Ouvre la bouche, s’il te plaît.	Open your mouth, please.	Common with doctors and dentists.
la lèvre	lah levr	lip	J’ai la lèvre sèche.	My lip is dry.	Singular or plural both common.
les lèvres	lay levr	lips	Elle a les lèvres rouges.	She has red lips.	Often used in beauty vocabulary.
la langue	lah long	tongue	Tire la langue.	Stick out your tongue.	Also means “language” in another context.
la dent	lah don	tooth	J’ai mal à une dent.	I have a toothache in one tooth.	Plural: les dents.
les dents	lay don	teeth	Il se brosse les dents.	He brushes his teeth.	French uses reflexive verbs a lot here.
la gencive	lah zhon-seev	gum	J’ai les gencives sensibles.	I have sensitive gums.	Mostly plural in everyday use.
le menton	luh mon-ton	chin	Il s’est cogné le menton.	He hit his chin.	Useful in injury talk.
la mâchoire	lah mah-shwar	jaw	J’ai mal à la mâchoire.	My jaw hurts.	Good to know for dental pain.
l’oreille	loh-ray	ear	J’ai mal à l’oreille.	My ear hurts.	Starts with a vowel, so use l’.
les oreilles	lay zoh-ray	ears	Le chien a de grandes oreilles.	The dog has big ears.	Liaison in les oreilles.
la barbe	lah barb	beard	Il a une barbe courte.	He has a short beard.	Used for facial hair on men.
la moustache	lah moo-stash	mustache	Mon oncle porte une moustache.	My uncle wears a mustache.	Easy cognate, thankfully.
la peau	lah poh	skin	J’ai la peau sensible.	I have sensitive skin.	Very common in skincare talk.
le grain de beauté	luh gran duh boh-tay	beauty mark, mole	Elle a un grain de beauté sur la joue.	She has a mole on her cheek.	Long phrase, but common.
la ride	lah reed	wrinkle	Il a quelques rides autour des yeux.	He has a few wrinkles around his eyes.	Useful in beauty and aging vocabulary.

Hair And Neck Words In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
les cheveux	lay shuh-vuh	hair	Elle a les cheveux longs.	She has long hair.	French usually uses plural for hair.
une mèche	ewn mesh	strand of hair	Une mèche tombe sur son visage.	A strand of hair falls over her face.	Common in beauty talk.
le cuir chevelu	luh kweer shuh-vuh-loo	scalp	J’ai le cuir chevelu sec.	I have a dry scalp.	Very useful for shampoo labels too.
le cou	luh koo	neck	J’ai mal au cou.	My neck hurts.	Notice à + le = au: mal au cou.
la gorge	lah gorzh	throat	J’ai mal à la gorge.	I have a sore throat.	Very common illness phrase.
la nuque	lah nuk	nape, back of the neck	J’ai une douleur dans la nuque.	I have pain in the back of my neck.	More specific than cou.

Upper Body Words In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
l’épaule	lay-pohl	shoulder	J’ai mal à l’épaule droite.	My right shoulder hurts.	Use droite or gauche if needed.
la poitrine	lah pwah-treen	chest	Il a mal à la poitrine.	He has chest pain.	Important medical word.
le sein	luh san	breast	Elle a une douleur au sein gauche.	She has pain in her left breast.	Medical and neutral.
le dos	luh doh	back	J’ai mal au dos.	My back hurts.	Extremely useful phrase.
la taille	lah ty	waist	Cette robe marque la taille.	This dress emphasizes the waist.	Can also mean size in other contexts.
le ventre	luh vontr	belly, stomach area	J’ai mal au ventre.	I have a stomachache.	Very common for general tummy pain.
l’estomac	lay-stoh-mahk	stomach	Mon estomac est fragile.	My stomach is sensitive.	More anatomical than ventre.
le nombril	luh nom-breel	belly button, navel	L’enfant montre son nombril.	The child shows his belly button.	A fun but genuinely useful word.
les côtes	lay koht	ribs	Je me suis fait mal aux côtes.	I hurt my ribs.	Often plural.
le cœur	luh kur	heart	Son cœur bat vite.	His heart is beating fast.	The œ sound is tricky; “kur” is close enough for beginners.
le poumon	luh poo-mon	lung	Le médecin écoute ses poumons.	The doctor listens to his lungs.	Usually plural in medical checks too.
les poumons	lay poo-mon	lungs	Il faut protéger ses poumons.	You need to protect your lungs.	Handy for health contexts.

Arm And Hand Words In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
le bras	luh brah	arm	Il a mal au bras.	His arm hurts.	Final s is silent.
le coude	luh kood	elbow	Je me suis cogné le coude.	I bumped my elbow.	A classic real-life word.
le poignet	luh pwan-yay	wrist	Elle s’est foulé le poignet.	She sprained her wrist.	The gn sounds like “ny.”
la main	lah man	hand	Donne-moi la main.	Give me your hand.	Very common in daily speech.
le doigt	luh dwah	finger	Je me suis coupé le doigt.	I cut my finger.	Silent final t.
le pouce	luh pooss	thumb	J’ai mal au pouce.	My thumb hurts.	Useful when texting too much, maybe.
l’index	lan-deks	index finger	Il pointe avec l’index.	He points with his index finger.	Linked pronunciation after l’.
le majeur	luh mah-zhur	middle finger	Le majeur est le plus long doigt.	The middle finger is the longest finger.	Neutral anatomical term.
l’annulaire	lah-nyoo-lehr	ring finger	Elle porte une bague à l’annulaire.	She wears a ring on her ring finger.	Long word, but useful.
l’auriculaire	loh-ree-koo-lehr	little finger, pinky	L’enfant lève l’auriculaire.	The child raises his pinky.	More formal than everyday petit doigt.
le petit doigt	luh puh-tee dwah	pinky, little finger	Je me suis cassé le petit doigt.	I broke my pinky.	More common in everyday speech.
l’ongle	longl	nail	Je me suis cassé un ongle.	I broke a nail.	For fingernails and toenails.
la paume	lah pohm	palm	Il a écrit dans sa paume.	He wrote in his palm.	Good specific hand word.

Lower Body Words In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
la hanche	lah onsh	hip	Elle a mal à la hanche.	Her hip hurts.	Common in medical and fitness talk.
la fesse	lah fess	buttock, cheek	Le bébé est tombé sur la fesse.	The baby fell on his bottom.	Neutral enough, but context matters.
les fesses	lay fess	bottom, butt	L’enfant s’est assis sur les fesses.	The child sat down on his bottom.	Common everyday plural form.
la jambe	lah zhomb	leg	Je me suis fait mal à la jambe.	I hurt my leg.	Useful and very common.
la cuisse	lah kweess	thigh	Il a une douleur à la cuisse.	He has pain in his thigh.	Common in sports injuries.
le genou	luh zhuh-noo	knee	Elle s’est blessée au genou.	She injured her knee.	Plural: les genoux.
le mollet	luh moh-lay	calf	J’ai une crampe au mollet.	I have a cramp in my calf.	Very useful in sports and travel.
le tibia	luh tee-bya	shin, tibia	Je me suis cogné le tibia.	I banged my shin.	Often used for shin in everyday speech too.
la cheville	lah shuh-vee-yuh	ankle	Je me suis foulé la cheville.	I sprained my ankle.	A survival word for clumsy people.
le pied	luh pyeh	foot	J’ai mal au pied.	My foot hurts.	Singular and plural are both common by context.
les pieds	lay pyeh	feet	J’ai les pieds froids.	My feet are cold.	Very common phrase.
le talon	luh tah-lon	heel	J’ai une ampoule au talon.	I have a blister on my heel.	Great word for walking problems.
la plante du pied	lah plant du pyeh	sole of the foot	J’ai mal sous la plante du pied.	The sole of my foot hurts.	Long but practical.
l’orteil	lor-tay	toe	Je me suis cassé un orteil.	I broke a toe.	Common injury vocabulary.
les orteils	lay zor-tay	toes	Il bouge les orteils.	He wiggles his toes.	Liaison in plural.
l’ongle de pied	longl duh pyeh	toenail	Je dois couper mes ongles de pied.	I need to cut my toenails.	Often plural: les ongles de pied.

Internal And General Body Words In French

French	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
le muscle	luh mus-kl	muscle	J’ai mal aux muscles.	My muscles hurt.	Very common after exercise.
l’os	lohs	bone	Il s’est cassé un os.	He broke a bone.	Pronounced with the final s here.
le sang	luh son	blood	Il y a du sang sur sa main.	There is blood on his hand.	Important emergency vocabulary.
le cerveau	luh sair-voh	brain	Le cerveau contrôle le corps.	The brain controls the body.	Good general science word.
le nerf	luh nairf	nerve	Le dentiste a touché un nerf.	The dentist touched a nerve.	Also used figuratively.
la blessure	lah bleh-syur	injury, wound	Sa blessure n’est pas grave.	His injury is not serious.	Good all-purpose medical word.
la douleur	lah doo-lur	pain	La douleur est forte.	The pain is strong.	More formal than just j’ai mal.
la cicatrice	lah see-kah-trees	scar	Il a une cicatrice sur le bras.	He has a scar on his arm.	Useful for descriptions.
la sueur	lah swur	sweat	J’ai de la sueur sur le front.	I have sweat on my forehead.	Common in sports and heat talk.
la respiration	lah res-pee-rah-syon	breathing, respiration	Sa respiration est rapide.	His breathing is fast.	Useful in health contexts.
le souffle	luh soofl	breath	J’ai le souffle court.	I’m short of breath.	Very practical phrase.

15 Useful French Phrases About Body Parts

French Phrase	Pronunciation	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation	Learner Note
J’ai mal à la tête.	zhay mahl ah lah tet	I have a headache.	Je ne peux pas sortir, j’ai mal à la tête.	I can’t go out, I have a headache.	Use avoir mal à for pain.
J’ai mal au dos.	zhay mahl oh doh	My back hurts.	Après le déménagement, j’ai mal au dos.	After the move, my back hurts.	à + le = au.
J’ai mal au ventre.	zhay mahl oh vontr	I have a stomachache.	Il a trop mangé, maintenant il a mal au ventre.	He ate too much, now he has a stomachache.	Very everyday phrase.
J’ai mal à la gorge.	zhay mahl ah lah gorzh	I have a sore throat.	Je parle moins parce que j’ai mal à la gorge.	I’m speaking less because I have a sore throat.	Common when sick.
J’ai mal aux pieds.	zhay mahl oh pyeh	My feet hurt.	Après cette randonnée, j’ai mal aux pieds.	After that hike, my feet hurt.	à + les = aux.
Je me suis foulé la cheville.	zhuh muh swee foo-lay lah shuh-vee-yuh	I sprained my ankle.	Je me suis foulé la cheville en courant.	I sprained my ankle while running.	Common injury phrase.
Je me suis cassé le bras.	zhuh muh swee kah-say luh brah	I broke my arm.	Quand j’étais petit, je me suis cassé le bras.	When I was little, I broke my arm.	French often uses reflexive forms for injuries.
Ouvre la bouche.	oovr lah boosh	Open your mouth.	Le dentiste a dit : “Ouvre la bouche.”	The dentist said, “Open your mouth.”	Informal singular command.
Ferme les yeux.	fairm lay zyuh	Close your eyes.	Ferme les yeux et respire.	Close your eyes and breathe.	Great for instructions.
Lève les bras.	lev lay brah	Raise your arms.	Le professeur dit : “Lève les bras.”	The teacher says, “Raise your arms.”	Useful in class, sport, or health contexts.
Baisse la tête.	bess lah tet	Lower your head.	Baisse la tête, le plafond est bas.	Lower your head, the ceiling is low.	Good practical phrase.
Tourne la tête à gauche.	toorn lah tet ah gosh	Turn your head to the left.	Tourne la tête à gauche, s’il te plaît.	Turn your head to the left, please.	Add à droite for “to the right.”
Montre-moi ta main.	montr mwah tah man	Show me your hand.	Montre-moi ta main, je veux voir la coupure.	Show me your hand, I want to see the cut.	Informal ta; formal would be votre.
Il a les yeux bleus.	eel ah lay zyuh bluh	He has blue eyes.	Mon frère a les yeux bleus.	My brother has blue eyes.	French uses avoir for physical features.
Elle a les cheveux bruns.	ell ah lay shuh-vuh brun	She has brown hair.	La nouvelle prof a les cheveux bruns.	The new teacher has brown hair.	Use plural adjective with cheveux.

Quick Grammar Notes You Actually Need

1. French Usually Uses Definite Articles With Body Parts

Instead of saying “my hand hurts” with a possessive like English does, French often says:

J’ai mal à la main. = My hand hurts.
Je me lave les mains. = I wash my hands.
Il s’est cassé le bras. = He broke his arm.

That le / la / les pattern is extremely normal in French when the body part belongs to the subject and the meaning is obvious.

2. Use “Avoir Mal À” For Pain

J’ai mal à la tête. = I have a headache.
Elle a mal au genou. = Her knee hurts.
Nous avons mal aux épaules. = Our shoulders hurt.

Remember the contractions:

à + le = au
à + les = aux

So you get au dos, au bras, aux pieds, and so on.

3. Watch A Few Irregular Plurals

l’œil → les yeux
le cheveu → les cheveux
le genou → les genoux

These are common enough that you should memorize them early and save yourself future annoyance.

Common Mistakes English Speakers Make

Wrong: mon tête
Correct: ma tête
Why: tête is feminine.
Wrong: mes cheveu
Correct: mes cheveux
Why: The usual word for hair is plural.
Wrong: j’ai mal à le bras
Correct: j’ai mal au bras
Why: à + le contracts to au.
Wrong: j’ai mal mon dos
Correct: j’ai mal au dos
Why: Use avoir mal à, not a possessive like in English.
Wrong: les oeils
Correct: les yeux
Why: This plural is irregular and very common.

Mini Reference List: 85 Body And Face Words

le corps — body
la tête — head
le visage — face
le front — forehead
l’œil — eye
les yeux — eyes
la paupière — eyelid
le cil — eyelash
le sourcil — eyebrow
le nez — nose
la narine — nostril
la joue — cheek
la bouche — mouth
la lèvre — lip
les lèvres — lips
la langue — tongue
la dent — tooth
les dents — teeth
la gencive — gum
le menton — chin
la mâchoire — jaw
l’oreille — ear
les oreilles — ears
la barbe — beard
la moustache — mustache
la peau — skin
le grain de beauté — mole
la ride — wrinkle
les cheveux — hair
une mèche — strand of hair
le cuir chevelu — scalp
le cou — neck
la gorge — throat
la nuque — nape
l’épaule — shoulder
la poitrine — chest
le sein — breast
le dos — back
la taille — waist
le ventre — belly
l’estomac — stomach
le nombril — belly button
les côtes — ribs
le cœur — heart
le poumon — lung
les poumons — lungs
le bras — arm
le coude — elbow
le poignet — wrist
la main — hand
le doigt — finger
le pouce — thumb
l’index — index finger
le majeur — middle finger
l’annulaire — ring finger
l’auriculaire — little finger
le petit doigt — pinky
l’ongle — nail
la paume — palm
la hanche — hip
la fesse — buttock
les fesses — bottom
la jambe — leg
la cuisse — thigh
le genou — knee
le mollet — calf
le tibia — shin
la cheville — ankle
le pied — foot
les pieds — feet
le talon — heel
la plante du pied — sole of the foot
l’orteil — toe
les orteils — toes
l’ongle de pied — toenail
le muscle — muscle
l’os — bone
le sang — blood
le cerveau — brain
le nerf — nerve
la blessure — injury
la douleur — pain
la cicatrice — scar
la sueur — sweat
la respiration — breathing
le souffle — breath

Learn the body words you will actually say first: head, hand, arm, back, stomach, throat, eye, foot, knee. Nobody ever regrets knowing how to say “ankle” five seconds after twisting one.

Yak Takeaway

If you remember just one pattern from this lesson, make it this: j’ai mal à… plus the body part. That one structure alone will save you in pharmacies, clinics, sports classes, and dramatic travel moments.

Learn the most common body words first, then build outward. Start with la tête, le bras, la main, le dos, le ventre, la jambe, and le pied. After that, you can move on to fancier things like la mâchoire and l’annulaire and feel suspiciously competent.

And yes, now you can stop pointing. Mostly.