French Body Vocabulary: Body Words in French

French Body Vocabulary

Start with the most common words, then expand your knowledge with intermediate and advanced vocabulary.

Beginner (A1)

stomach l'estomac
ear l'oreille
shoulder l'épaule
eye l'œil
mouth la bouche
tooth la dent
throat la gorge
leg la jambe
cheek la joue
tongue la langue
lip la lèvre
hand la main
skin la peau
chest la poitrine
head la tête
arm le bras
neck le cou
heart le cœur
finger le doigt
back le dos
forehead le front
knee le genou
nose le nez
foot le pied
hair les cheveux

Elementary (A2)

fingernail l'ongle
toe l'orteil
bone l'os
beard la barbe
ankle la cheville
thigh la cuisse
hip la hanche
mustache la moustache
waist la taille
brain le cerveau
eyelash le cil
elbow le coude
chin le menton
calf le mollet
muscle le muscle
navel le nombril
wrist le poignet
breast le sein
eyebrow le sourcil
heel le talon
buttocks les fesses

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

abdomen l'abdomen
groin l'aine
armpit l'aisselle
joint l'articulation
intestine l'intestin
rib la côte
buttocks les fesses
jaw la mâchoire
nostril la narine
palm la paume
eyelid la paupière
sole la plante
pupil la pupille
freckle la tache de rousseur
temple la tempe
skull le crâne
liver le foie
mole le grain de beauté
nerve le nerf
lung le poumon
shin le tibia
artery l'artère
crotch l'entrejambe
small intestine l'intestin grêle
iris l'iris
spine la colonne vertébrale
spleen la rate
vein la veine
bladder la vessie
pelvis le bassin
diaphragm le diaphragme
large intestine le gros intestin
pancreas le pancréas
kidney le rein
tendon le tendon

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Example Sentences

In proper context. With highlighted verbs and adjectives.

Beginner & Elementary (A1-A2)

Basic sentences featuring common verbs and adjectives used when discussing the human body.

Je me lave les mains avant de manger. I wash my hands before eating.
Il ferme les yeux pour dormir. He closes his eyes to sleep.
Elle plie le coude pour porter le sac. She bends her elbow to carry the bag.
Le médecin examine ma gorge rouge. The doctor examines my red throat.
Nous massons notre dos après le travail. We massage our back after work.
Mon bras droit est très fort. My right arm is very strong.
Il a la peau très douce. He has very soft skin.
Mes cheveux sont longs et noirs. My hair is long and black.
Son genou gauche est gonflé. His left knee is swollen.
Cette dent est encore sensible. This tooth is still sensitive.

Intermediate & Advanced (B1-C1)

More complex anatomical contexts using descriptive adjectives and medical or active verbs.

Le chirurgien opère le rein du patient ce matin. The surgeon is operating on the patient's kidney this morning.
Elle étire ses cuisses après une longue course. She stretches her thighs after a long run.
Mon cœur bat rapidement après cet effort intense. My heart beats rapidly after this intense effort.
Il se fracture le tibia pendant le match. He fractures his shin bone during the match.
La fumée irrite mes poumons et mes yeux. The smoke irritates my lungs and my eyes.
L'artère principale reste bien flexible. The main artery remains quite flexible.
Sa mâchoire inférieure est légèrement asymétrique. Her lower jaw is slightly asymmetrical.
Le muscle cardiaque est extrêmement résistant. The heart muscle is extremely resilient.
Sa colonne vertébrale est parfaitement droite. His spinal column is perfectly straight.
L'intestin grêle est particulièrement long. The small intestine is particularly long.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently asked questions about body vocabulary in French

To say that a part of your body hurts, use the expression avoir mal à followed by the definite article and the body part:

J'ai mal au ventre (masculine singular: à + le = au) – My stomach hurts.
J'ai mal à la tête (feminine singular) – I have a headache.
J'ai mal à l'épaule (singular starting with a vowel) – My shoulder hurts.
J'ai mal aux pieds (plural: à + les = aux) – My feet hurt.

In English, we say 'I wash my hands', but in French, reflexive verbs with definite articles are standard when referring to one's own body:

Je me lave les mains (NOT je lave mes mains) – I wash my hands.
Elle s'est cassé la jambe (NOT elle a cassé sa jambe) – She broke her leg.
Il s'ouvre les yeux – He opens his eyes.

French features many picturesque idioms centered on human anatomy:

Coûter les yeux de la tête – To cost an arm and a leg (literally: to cost the eyes from the head).
Avoir les yeux plus gros que le ventre – To have eyes bigger than one's stomach.
Avoir la tête dans les nuages – To have one's head in the clouds.
Mon petit doigt m'a dit... – A little bird told me... (literally: my little finger told me).

When describing physical features like hair (les cheveux) or eyes (les yeux), adjectives must agree in gender and number, with a few exceptions:

Les yeux bleus / verts / noirs – Blue / green / black eyes (masculine plural agreement).
Les cheveux blonds / bruns / buissons – Blonde / brown hair.
Les yeux marron – Brown eyes (marron is an invariable noun-derived color, so no 's' is added).

Here are key verbs used when describing movement, care, or bodily sensations:

Plier / Tendre – To bend / To stretch (e.g., plier le genou).
Masser / Toucher – To massage / To touch.
Frotter / Gratter – To rub / To scratch.
Respirer / Haleter – To breathe / To pant.

French Body Vocabulary