French Vocabulary: Body Parts
Learn and master body parts vocabulary in French, from head to toe. Perfect for beginners to advance their language proficiency.
cerveau
brain
In French, 'cerveau' is the equivalent of the English word 'brain'. It is used in the same way as in English, referring to the organ ‘brain’. It can also be metaphorically used to denote 'intelligence' or 'smart person', similarly to English. For instance, 'Il est le cerveau de l'operation' translates to 'He is the brain of the operation'.
Example sentences with cerveau →chaleur
warmth
The French word 'chaleur' is used to express the term 'warmth' in English. It is mostly used to describe the warmth of the temperature, or a sensation of heat, and could also be used metaphorically to express affection and kindness, similar to how we use 'warmth' in English. Example in a sentence: 'La chaleur de son accueil nous a réchauffés.' which translates as 'The warmth of his welcome warmed us up.'
Example sentences with chaleur →cheveux
hair
The French word for 'hair' is 'cheveux.' In French, 'cheveux' is used to refer to human hair and is always used in the plural form. It is an exception to the general rule because in English, 'hair' can be both singular and plural. For example, you would say 'J'ai les cheveux longs,' which means 'I have long hair,' in French.
Example sentences with cheveux →coeur
heart
The French word 'coeur' is used in the same way as the English word 'heart'. It is used to refer to the physical organ in our bodies, but can also be used metaphorically to refer to feelings and emotions. For example, 'avoir le coeur brisé' means 'to have a broken heart'. Just like in English, 'coeur' is also used in French to express the core or center of something.
Example sentences with coeur →dos
back
The French word 'dos' translates to 'back' in English. It is used to describe the rear part of the human body from the neck to the end of the spine. It can also be used to describe the rear part or opposite side of something. For example, 'Le dos du livre' means 'The back of the book'.
Example sentences with dos →entendre
hear
The French word 'entendre' is used to express the action of hearing something, similar to 'hear' in English. It can be used in various contexts such as hearing a sound, a person speaking, a music note and more. Like English, the French use it in idiomatic expressions as well, for example, 'Je ne veux pas entendre ça' translates to 'I don’t want to hear it'.
Example sentences with entendre →jeter
throw
The word 'jeter' is a French verb that translates to 'throw' in English. It is usually used in the context of throwing something physically, like a ball or an object. It can also be used metaphorically, such as 'jeter un coup d'œil' meaning to 'throw a glance' or take a quick look.
Example sentences with jeter →main
hand
The French word 'main' is used similarly to how we use 'hand' in English. It represents the part of the body at the end of the arm. It is mainly used in the context of holding things, touching, moving, etc., but there also exist expressions and phrases in French using 'main' like in English, for instance 'donner un coup de main' which literally translated to 'give a hand hit', but means 'to give a helping hand'.
Example sentences with main →pied
foot
The French word for 'foot' is 'pied'. It is used exactly as it is in English, referring to the lower extremity of the leg below the ankle, on which a person stands or walks. In phrases and idioms, however, the translations may vary. For instance, 'on foot' translates as 'à pied' in French.
Example sentences with pied →sport
sport
In French, 'sport' is used basically the same as in English, referring to various forms of competitive physical activities. It may refer to individual activities, like tennis or golf, or team activities like football or rugby. Often, it is used in general and abstract contexts, such as when talking about the importance of sport in society, but it may also refer to specific sports when the context makes it clear which one is discussed.
Example sentences with sport →tête
head
The French word for 'head' is 'tête'. It is used in the same way as in English to refer to the top part of the human body that includes the brain, eyes, mouth, etc. It is also used metaphorically in phrases like 'prendre la tête' (to be the leader) or 'mal de tête' (headache). Just as in English, 'tête' is a versatile word in French.
Example sentences with tête →visage
face
The translation of 'face' in French is 'visage.' It is used very similarly to its English counterpart by referring to the front part of a person’s head from the forehead to the chin. For example, 'Je vais me laver le visage' means 'I am going to wash my face.' It can also be used metaphorically to express aspects or phases, like in 'faire face à une situation' which means 'to face a situation.'
Example sentences with visage →