French Vocabulary Guide Parts of the Body

Learning the words for different body parts may not be the first thing you learn in French, but knowing them is essential. If you become ill or injured while traveling overseas, youll need to be able to describe your symptoms to a doctor. Or perhaps you are telling friends about a fancy party you went to and you want to describe how the guests looked. You can see why beefing up your French vocabulary for parts of the body can come in handy. Test Your Vocabulary Learn how to say the parts of the body in French, and click the links to hear each word pronounced. le corps body les cheveux hair la tà ªte head le visage face un Å“illes yeux eyeeyes le nez nose la joue cheek la bouche mouth la là ¨vre lip la dent tooth une oreille ear le cou neck la poitrine chest un estomac stomach le bras arm une à ©paule shoulder le coude elbow le poignet wrist la main hand le doigt finger un ongle fingernail le pouce thumb le dos back la jambe leg le genou knee la cheville ankle le pied foot un orteil toe Vocabulary Tip The possessive adjective is almost never used with body parts in French. You rarely say things like my leg or his hair. Instead, the French use reflexive verbs to show possession with body parts. For example: Je me suis cassà © la jambe.   I broke my leg (literally, I broke the leg of myself) Il sest lavà © les cheveux.   He washed his hair (literally, He washed the hair of himself).