Words for the main parts of the body occur in descriptions of appearance and movement as well as in healthcare, exercise, and personal care.
Knowing the main body parts also prepares you to say where you feel pain or have an injury.
For where you feel pain, see Pain: location, sensation, and change.
The head and face
Words for the main parts of the head and face are:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la tête | head |
| le visage | face |
| les cheveux | hair |
| le front | forehead |
| l'œil | eye |
| les yeux | eyes |
| l'oreille | ear |
| le nez | nose |
| la bouche | mouth |
| la dent | tooth |
| les dents | teeth |
| la langue | tongue |
| la gorge | throat |
The plural les yeux replaces l'œil rather than following the regular plural pattern. Les cheveux normally refers to the hair on someone's head as a whole.
The upper body
From the neck to the hands, these words distinguish the main areas of the upper body and the joints of the arm:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le cou | neck |
| l'épaule | shoulder |
| la poitrine | chest |
| le dos | back |
| le bras | arm |
| le coude | elbow |
| le poignet | wrist |
| la main | hand |
| le doigt | finger |
The lower body
From the hips to the toes, these words distinguish the main parts of the leg and foot:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la hanche | hip |
| la cuisse | thigh |
| la jambe | leg |
| le mollet | calf |
| le genou | knee |
| la cheville | ankle |
| le pied | foot |
| le talon | heel |
| l'orteil | toe |
| le tendon d'Achille | Achilles tendon |
La jambe refers to the leg, while le genou and la cheville refer specifically to the knee and ankle.
Internal body parts
Some everyday health expressions refer to internal parts of the body or to the abdominal area:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le cœur | heart |
| le ventre | belly, abdomen |
| l'estomac | stomach |
| le sang | blood |
Le ventre refers broadly to the belly or abdominal area. L'estomac refers specifically to the stomach as an internal organ. In everyday French, ventre is common when talking about discomfort in the abdominal area.
Right and left
To specify a side of the body, droit changes to droite with a feminine noun, while gauche has the same form with masculine and feminine nouns:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la main droite | the right hand |
| la main gauche | the left hand |
| le bras droit | the right arm |
| le bras gauche | the left arm |
| le pied droit | the right foot |
| le pied gauche | the left foot |
The same pattern applies to other body parts, including l'œil droit, l'oreille gauche, le genou droit, and la cheville gauche.
Verbs for movement and instructions
Several common verbs describe actions involving the head, arms, hands, and legs:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| lever | to raise |
| tourner | to turn |
| plier | to bend |
| ouvrir | to open |
| fermer | to close |
| montrer | to show |
These verbs describe common actions involving different parts of the body:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Tournez la tête. | Turn your head. |
| Levez la main. | Raise your hand. |
| Pliez les genoux. | Bend your knees. |
| Fermez les yeux. | Close your eyes. |
| Ouvrez la bouche. | Open your mouth. |
| Montrez-moi votre main gauche. | Show me your left hand. |
Continue with Pain and discomfort to learn how to describe where and how something hurts.
From learning to practice
Look for body-part vocabulary in exercise instructions, descriptions of people, and conversations about health. Practice identifying the body part first, then the action or description associated with it.