Washing, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, and other personal care activities are part of everyday life.
Many common French expressions for personal care use a reflexive verb, such as se laver or s'habiller.
For vocabulary related to waking up, breakfast, and leaving home, see Talking about your morning routine.
Wash and bathe
To express the idea of washing yourself, use the French verb se laver. You can use this verb to describe washing your whole body, or use it with a body part to say what you are washing.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| se laver | to wash yourself |
| se laver les mains | to wash your hands |
| se laver le visage | to wash your face |
| prendre une douche | to take a shower |
| prendre un bain | to take a bath |
| faire sa toilette | to wash and get ready |
With a body part, you use the definite article (les, le, or la). In English this is expressed with "my", "your," etc.
The following examples show how these verbs are used in context:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je me lave les mains. | I wash my hands. |
| Elle se lave le visage. | She washes her face. |
| Je vais prendre une douche. | I'm going to take a shower. |
| Il fait sa toilette. | He's washing and getting ready. |
Faire sa toilette refers to personal washing and grooming. Do not confuse this expression with les toilettes, which means the toilet or restroom.
Do your hair, shave, and dry off
Expressions related to grooming also use reflexive forms of verbs:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| se coiffer | to do or arrange your hair |
| se brosser les cheveux | to brush your hair |
| se peigner | to comb your hair |
| se raser | to shave |
| se sécher | to dry yourself |
These examples show how these verbs are used in context.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Elle se brosse les cheveux. | She's brushing her hair. |
| Il se rase. | He's shaving. |
| Je me peigne. | I'm combing my hair. |
| Elle se sèche. | She's drying herself. |
Get dressed
General expressions related to getting dressed use reflexive forms:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| s'habiller | to get dressed |
| se déshabiller | to get undressed |
These examples show how these verbs are used in context.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je m'habille. | I'm getting dressed. |
| Vous pouvez vous déshabiller. | You can get undressed. |
However, to put on a specific item, use mettre or enfiler. These verbs are not reflexive:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je mets mes chaussettes. | I'm putting on my socks. |
| J'enfile mes chaussettes. | I'm putting on my socks. |
| Je mets une chemise. | I'm putting on a shirt. |
| J'enfile une chemise. | I'm putting on a shirt. |
Oral care
Oral care uses a small set of actions and objects:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| se brosser les dents | to brush your teeth |
| une brosse à dents | a toothbrush |
| du dentifrice | toothpaste |
| du fil dentaire | dental floss |
| se rincer la bouche | to rinse your mouth |
| cracher | to spit |
In Canada, dental floss is also called soie dentaire.
Personal care instructions
Instructions about personal care often use the imperative. In an affirmative command, the reflexive pronoun comes after the verb:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Lavez-vous les mains. | Wash your hands. |
| Lavez-vous le visage. | Wash your face. |
| Habillez-vous. | Get dressed. |
| Déshabillez-vous. | Get undressed. |
| Séchez-vous. | Dry yourself. |
You can recognize these instructions before you can produce every form. The ending -vous connects Lavez-vous with se laver and Habillez-vous with s'habiller. Healthcare professionals use vous to give these instructions politely.
Personal care items
When you are away from home or receiving care, you may need to ask for an item.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| du savon | soap |
| du shampoing | shampoo |
| une serviette | a towel, napkin |
| un gant de toilette | a washcloth |
| une brosse à dents | a toothbrush |
| du dentifrice | toothpaste |
| un peigne | a comb |
| une brosse à cheveux | a hairbrush |
In Canada, a washcloth is also called une débarbouillette.
Une serviette refers to a towel or a napkin depending on the context.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je me sèche avec une serviette. | I dry myself with a towel. |
| Je mets ma serviette sur mes genoux. | I put my napkin on my lap. |
From learning to practice
The next time you wash your hands, get dressed, or brush your teeth, say the action in French, even if you are alone: Je me lave les mains, Je m'habille, or Je me brosse les dents. Where you are staying or receiving care, listen for Lavez-vous les mains, and use a request such as Est-ce que vous avez du savon ? when you need something.