HUMAN BODY - FRENCH VOCABULARY TESTING GUIDE

 82 cards | 12 sub-topics | all 4 skills tested

INTRODUCTION

In this section, I'm going to show you the French words and vocabulary used to talk about the body

I don't know if you have noticed, but the topic of the human body is almost always present in most language vocabulary training intended for beginners. French is definitely not an exception in this, and I think the reason is quite simple --  From the moment they can see, hear and talk, children in France learn to sing "Tête, épaules, genoux et pieds", the equivalent for "head, shoulders, knees and toes". You'll agree with me that it's quite a catchy tune, which will make children (and adults alike) go nuts if you know how to pace the song on a faster cadence.

It is also worth mentioning that in French, when talking about your own body, it is customary to use a definite article (le, la, les) instead of a possessive adjective. For example, "J'ai les mains sur la table" will translate as "I have my hands on the table." Or "Je me brosse les dents" to say that "I'm brushing my teeth:"

Please enjoy this nice French vocbaulary list dealing with the parts of the body.

1. HEAD

1.1 Getting a head start

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1. la tête

Head

J'ai mal à la tête./ I have a headache.

2. les cheveux

Hair

Liz a les cheveux longs./ Liz has long hair.

3. le front

Forehead

Je me suis cogné le front contre le mur./ I knocked my forehead against the wall.

4. menton

Chin

Elle a un joli petit menton./ She's got a pretty little chin.

5. la joue

Cheek

Un bébé aux joues rondes./ A baby with round cheeks.

6. le crâne

Skull

Le patient a une fracture du crâne./ The patient has a fracture of the skull.

7. la nuque

Back of the neck

Elle se masse la nuque./ She is massaging the back of her neck.

8. la pommette

Cheekbone

Ce bel acteur a des pommettes saillantes./ This handsome actor has high cheekbones.

1.2 In and around the eyes

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9. l'oeil (m) / les yeux

Eye(s)

Elle a les larmes aux yeux./ She has tears in her eyes.

10. le sourcil

Eyebrow

Cet homme avait de gros sourcils./ He was a man with thick eyebrows.

11. les cils (m. pl)

Eyelashes

Une fille aux longs cils./ A girl with long eyelids.

12. les paupières (f. pl)

Eyelids

L'actrice applique du mascara sur les paupières./ The actress is applying mascara on her eyelids?

13. l'iris (m)

Iris

L'iris fait partie de l'oeil./ The iris is part of the eye.

14. la pupille

Pupil

La pupille est située au milieu de l'iris./ The pupil is located in the center of the iris.

1.3 In and around the ears

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SENTENCE EXAMPLES TO PRACTICE

15. l'oreille (f)

Ear

N'introduisez rien dans vos oreilles./ Don't insert anything in your ears.

16. le lobe de l'oreille

earlobe

Il a percé le lobe de son oreille droite./ He pierced his right earlobe.

17.

le tympan

Eardrum

Le tympan est un organe très fragile./ The eardrum is a very delicate organ.

1.4 In and around the mouth

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SENTENCE EXAMPLES TO PRACTICE

18.

la bouche

Mouth

Ferme la bouche quand tu manges!/ Close your mouth when you chew!

19.

les lèvres (f)

Lips

Elle mit un petit baiser sur les lèvres de son amant./ She placed a little kiss on the lips of her lover.

21.

la dent

Tooth

Brossez-vous les dents régulièrement./ Brush your teeth regularly.

21.

la langue

Tongue

Ce café m'a brûé la langue./ This coffee burned my tongue

22.

la barbe

Beard

Je me suis coupé la barbe./ I cut my beard.

23.

la moustache

Moustache

Mon prof d'anglais porte une petite moustache./ My English teacher has a moustache.

24.

la mâchoire

Jaw

J'ai reçu un coup de poing à la mâchoire./ I got punched in the jaw.

25.

la gencive

Gum

Il faut prendre soin de ses gencives./ You must take care of your gums.

26.

la gorge

Throat

Mon mal de gorge s'améliore de jour en jour./ My throat ache is getting better day by day.

1.5 In and around the nose

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27.

le nez

Nose

Elle se bouche le nez à cause de la mauvaise odeur./ She is holding her nose because of the stench.

28.

les narines (f)

Nostrils

Il a les narines bouchées à cause de son rhume./ His nostrils are clogged up because of the his cold.

29.

la morve

Mucus; Snot

Cet enfant a la morve au nez./ Cet enfant a la morve au nez.

2. TRUNK (Torso)

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SENTENCE EXAMPLES TO PRACTICE

30.

le torse

Torso

Elle penche son torse vers l'avant./ She folds her torso forward.

31.

le tronc

Trunk

Le médecin m'examine l'abdomen./ The physician examines my abdomen.

32.

le ventre

Stomach; Belly

Steve a mal au ventre./ Steve has a stomach ache.

33.

l'abdomen (m)

Abdomen

Chris fait des exercices pour se muscler l'abdomen./Chris is exercising to get a toned abdomen.

34.

l'estomac (m)

Stomach

La nourriture passe par l'estomac./ Food goes through the stomack.

35.

le bas-ventre

Lower abdomen

Elle ressent des douleurs vives dans le bas-ventre./ She is feeling sharp pains in her lower abdomen.

36.

le nombril

Navel

Tout le monde possède un nombril./ Everyone has a navel.

37.

le dos

Back

On ne peut pas voir son dos sans un miroir./ You can't see your back without a mirror.

38.

la poitrine

Chest

Le soldat a la main sur la poitrine./ The soldier has his hand on his chest.

39.

le sein

Breast

La prude demoiselle se cache les seins avec une serviette./ The prudish lady is hiding her breasts with a towel

40.

l'épaule (f)

Shoulder

Je peux te porter sur mes épaules./ I can carry you on my shoulders.

3. UPPER LIMBS

3.1 Main parts of the upper limbs

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SENTENCE EXAMPLES TO PRACTICE

41.

le membre supérieur

Upper limb

Nous avons deux membres supérieurs./ We have two upper limbs.

42.

le bras

Arm

Elle s'est cassé le bras à l'entraînement./ She broke her arm during practice.

43.

l'avant-bras

Forearm

Il lui toucha l'avant-bras délicatement./ He touched her forearm gently.

44.

la main

Hand

Levez la main si vous avez la bonne réponse./ Raise your hand if you have the correct answer.

45.

le doigt

Finger

Combien de doigts avons-nous?/ How many fingers do we have?

46.

le coude

Elbow

Il s'est cogné le coude contre le mur ce matin./ he bumped his elbow against the wall this morning.

47.

le poignet

Wrist

Elle a un bracelet au poignet./ She's wearing a bracelet on her wrist.

48. l'ongle (m)

Fingernail

Je me coupe les ongles toutes les semaines./ I cut my fingernails every week.

49. l'aisselle (f)

Armpit

J'ai de la sueur aux aisselles pendant l'entraînement./ I sweat in the armpits during practice.

50. le poing

Fist

Cet objet est aussi gros que mon poing./ This object is as big as my fist.

3.2 Naming each finger on your hand

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51. le pouce

Thumb

J'ai mail au pouce./ My thumb hurts.

52. l'index (m)

Index finger

J'utilise l'index pour mon montrer les choses./ I use my index finger to point at things.

53. le majeur

Middle finger

Arrête de faire ce geste vulgaire avec ton majeur!/ Stop doing this obscene gesture with your middle finger!

54. l'annulaire (m)

Ring finger

Elle met une bague à son annulaire./ She is placing a ring on her ring finger.

55. l'auriculaire (m)

Little finger

L'auriculaire est un petit doigt de la main./ The little finger is a little finger on your hand.

4. LOWER LIMBS

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56. la jambe

Leg

J'ai la jambe droite dans un plâtre./ My right leg is in a cast.

57. la cuisse

Thigh

Les cuisses de ce bodybuilder sont énormes/ The thighs of this bodybuilder are huge.

58. le genou

Knee

Le genou est une articulation./ The knee is a joint.

59. les fesses (f)

buttocks

On peut voir mes fesses dans ce bikini./ People can see my buttocks in this bikini.

60. le mollet

Calf

Je vais travailler mes mollets ce soir à la gym./ I'm going to train my calves at the gym!

61. le tibia

Shin

Une vilaine fracture du tibia./ An ugly fracture of the shin.

62. la cheville

Ankle

Je me suis foulé la cheville pendant le match./ I twisted my ankle during the match.

63. le talon

Heel

L'endroit autour des talons est généralement dure./ The place around the heels is usually hard.

64. le pied

Foot

Elle a de petites chaussures aux pieds./ She's wearing small shoes on her feet.

65. l'orteil (m)

Toe

Mes nouvelles chaussures me donnent mal aux orteils./ My new shoes are hurting my toes.

5. ORGANS

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SENTENCE EXAMPLES TO PRACTICE

66. l'organe (m)

Organ

On a au total 78 organes dans le corps/ We have a total of 78 organs in our body!

67. le cerveau

Brain

Notre cerveau contient des milliards de neurones./ There are billions of neurons in our brain.

68. les veines (f)

Veins

Le docteur injecte une substance dans mes veines./ The doctor is injecting me a substance in my veins!

69. le coeur

Heart

Le coeur joue un rôle très important dans notre corps./ The heart plays a very important role in our body!

70. les poumons (m)

Lungs

Nous respirons grâce aux poumons./ We breathe through our lungs.

71. le foie

Liver

La cigarette est mauvaise pour le foie./ Smoking is bad for your liver.

72. les reins (m)

Kidneys

Les reins purifient le sang./ Kidneys purify the blood.

73. le sang

Blood

La couleur de notre sang est rouge./ The color of our blood is red.

74. l'estomac (m)

Stomach

L'estomac est un organe important pour la digestion./ The stomach is an important digestive organ.

75. l'intestin (m)

Intestine

Nos intestins sont très longs./ Our intestines are very long.

76. la peau

Peau

La peau nous recouvre le corps entier./ Our skin covers our entire body

77. le poil

(Body) Hair 

Il s'arrache un poil du nez./ He is pulling a hair from his nose.

78. le squelette

Skeleton

Les étudiants en biologie examinent souvent des squelettes/ Biology students often examine skeletons.

6. OTHER IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE BODY

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79. l'articulation

Joint

Le coude et l'épaule sont des articulations./ The elbow and the shoulder are joints.

80. le muscle

Muscle

Le biceps est un muscle du bras./ The biceps is an arm muscle.

81. la chair

Flesh

Nous sommes faits de chair et d'os./ We are flesh and bones.

82. l'os / les os

Bone(s)

L'os du bras s'appelle l'humérus./ The bone in the arm is the humerus.

We have now completed our list and I hope you've had as much pleasure studying it as I have putting it together. 

  • What are the French body parts that you already knew about before seeing our list?
  • Are there words in this list which you find easy or difficult to pronounce? Which ones? Let us know below.

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