French Vocabulary: Body Parts & Symptoms

Body Parts and Locations

• French has a diverse vocabulary for body parts, making it possible to be very specific when indicating pain
• When referring to pain, use the preposition "au" before masculine body parts, and "à la" before feminine body parts.
• For example: "J'ai mal au pied." (I have a pain in my foot), "J'ai mal à la main." (I have a pain in my hand).
• If you use body parts that are plural, you should use "aux".
• For example: "J'ai mal aux dents." (I have a toothache), "J'ai mal aux jambes." (My legs hurt).

Symptoms and Conditions

• "J'ai la grippe" ( I have the flu.) describes a common illness with symptoms such as fever, chills and cough
• "J'ai un rhume" ( I have a cold) refers to nasal congestion, coughing and sneezing
• "J'ai chaud" (I feel hot) and "J'ai froid" ( I feel cold) reflect feelings of high or low body temperatures, usually as part of larger symptoms
• "J'ai envie de vomir" (I feel sick / I feel like throwing up) is used to express discomfort and the urge to vomit
• "J'ai la tête qui tourne" ( I feel dizzy) indicates a feeling of losing balance and disorientation
• "J'ai la migraine" ( I have a migraine) specifically describes a severe headache, often on one side of the head, and can be accompanied by nausea
• "J'ai une allergie" (I have an allergy) signifies sensitivity towards specific substances, resulting in reactions like rash, sneezing or difficulty breathing
• "J'ai de la fièvre" ( I have a fever) commonly involves a heightened body temperature, often signifying an illness
• "J'ai la diarrhée" ( I have diarrhea) describes an increased frequency of loose and watery stools
• "J'ai mal au cœur" (I feel sick) describes a feeling of nausea, often associated with digestive discomfort.
• "J'ai un bleu" (I have a bruise) refers to discolored skin resulting from an injury
• "J'ai une crampe" (I have a cramp) signifies sudden and involuntary muscle contractions, often causing pain and discomfort
• "J'ai des démangeaisons / Ça me gratte" ( I am itchy ) expresses a sensation of needing to scratch due to irritation on the skin
• "J'ai une carie / des caries" ( I have a cavity / cavities ) describes a hole in a tooth, often caused by tooth decay.
• "J'ai des frissons" (I have chills / shivers) are involuntary muscle contractions that cause the body to shake, often in response to a fever or cold.
• "J'ai le nez qui coule" ( I have a runny nose) signifies a watery discharge from the nose.
• "J'ai très mal" ( I hurt a lot ), "J'ai un peu mal" ( I hurt a bit ), and "J'ai mal partout" ( I hurt everywhere ) are simple expressions of pain levels
• "J'ai un ongle incarné" ( I have an ingrown toenail ) describes a toenail that has grown into the surrounding skin, causing pain and inflammation.
• "Je suis malade" ( I am sick) indicates a general state of illness while "Je suis fatigué(e)" ( I am tired) describes a feeling of exhaustion
• "Je me suis fait mal au pied / à la jambe" ( I've hurt my foot / my leg ) communicates an injury to a specific body part.

Body Parts and Locations

• To express pain or discomfort in French, use "J'ai mal" followed by the body part or location.
• "Au" is used before masculine body parts, "à la" before feminine body parts, and "aux" for plural body parts.
• Use the "à" preposition to indicate the location of pain, for example: "J'ai mal au bras" (I have pain in my arm).

Common Illnesses and Pain

• "J'ai la grippe" means "I have the flu".
• "J'ai un rhume" means "I have a cold".
• "J'ai envie de vomir" translates to "I feel sick / I feel like throwing up".
• Other common ailments include:
  • "avoir chaud" (to be hot)
  • "avoir froid" (to be cold)
  • "avoir la nausée" (to be nauseous)
  • "avoir la diarrhée" (to have diarrhoea)
  • "avoir mal au cœur" (to feel sick)
  • "avoir la tête qui tourne" (to feel dizzy)
  • "avoir la migraine" (to have a migraine)
  • "avoir une allergie" (to have an allergy)
  • "avoir de la fièvre" (to have a fever)

Injuries and Pain

• "J'ai un bleu" indicates a bruise, while "j'ai une crampe" describes a cramp.
• "J'ai des démangeaisons/ Ça me gratte" signifies itching.
• "J'ai une carie/ des caries" signals a cavity or cavities.
• "J'ai le nez qui coule" means "I have a runny nose."

Modifying Pain Expressions

• "J'ai très mal" expresses strong pain, while "j'ai un peu mal" indicates mild pain.
• "J'ai mal partout" signifies widespread discomfort.
• "J'ai un ongle incarné" translates to "I have an ingrown toenail".

General Illnesses and Injuries

• "Je suis malade" translates to "I am ill/ sick".
• "Je suis fatigué(e)." translates to "I am tired".
• To express having hurt yourself, use the appropriate verb tense and the preposition "au" or "à la" before a body part, for example, "Je me suis fait mal au pied/ à la jambe" (I hurt my foot/ leg).

Body Parts and Locations

• The table shows you how to say the names of body parts and locations in French.
• You can use these terms to describe where you are feeling pain.

Problems and pains

• The table shows you useful French phrases to describe common illnesses and aches.
• You can say "J'ai mal" followed by where it hurts to describe a specific pain.
• Phrases like "J'ai la grippe" and "J'ai un rhume" tell you how to say "I have the flu" and "I have a cold".
• Note that the word "mal" is masculine, so when you say "j'ai mal", you use the masculine form of the article "le", which is "au"
• Words like "frissons" and "crampe" are helpful for describing more specific symptoms like chills and cramps.

Other Problems and Pains

• The table shows you how to say "I am ill" and "I am tired" in French.
• You can use the phrase "Je me suis fait mal" to say "I hurt myself" and then add the body part to say where you hurt yourself. For example, "Je me suis fait mal au pied" means "I hurt my foot".