Mada za sehemu hiiRelate words with objects in the environmentMada 2
- Recognise the names of the parts of the human body presented orally and in writing
- Use numbers up to 60 orally and in writing
French Vocabulary: Parts of the Body
In French, we use certain verbs to talk about how we feel. Two important verbs are avoir (to have) and être (to be). We also learn the names of body parts like the head, back, neck, eyes, legs, stomach, and shoulder.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la tête | head |
| le dos | back |
| le cou | neck |
| l'œil / les yeux | eye / eyes |
| les jambes | legs |
| le ventre | stomach |
| l'épaule | shoulder |
Using "avoir" (to have)
When we talk about temperature or physical feelings, we use the verb avoir:
- J'ai chaud. — I am hot.
- J'ai froid. — I am cold.
- J'ai soif. — I am thirsty.
- J'ai faim. — I am hungry.
Using "avoir mal à" (to have pain in)
To say which body part hurts, we say avoir mal à + the body part:
- J'ai mal à la tête. — I have a headache. (head)
- J'ai mal au dos. — I have a backache. (back)
- J'ai mal au cou. — I have a neckache. (neck)
- J'ai mal à l'œil / aux yeux. — I have eye pain.
- J'ai mal aux jambes. — My legs hurt.
- J'ai mal au ventre. — I have a stomachache.
- J'ai mal à l'épaule. — My shoulder hurts.
Using "à la, au, à l', aux" with body parts
The article changes based on the body part:
| Body part | French phrase |
|---|---|
| la tête | à la tête |
| le dos | au dos |
| le cou | au cou |
| l'œil | **à l'**œil |
| les yeux | aux yeux |
| les jambes | aux jambes |
| le ventre | au ventre |
| l'épaule | **à l'**épaule |
Using "être" (to be)
We use être for how we feel (emotional or condition):
- Je suis fatigué(e). — I am tired.
- Je suis malade. — I am sick.
- Je suis enrhumé(e). — I have a cold.
Note: The ending changes for girls — add -e to the adjective.
From the textbook, look at this dialogue at the doctor's office:
Médecin : Qu'est-ce que tu as ? Zawadi : J'ai mal à la tête et j'ai de la fièvre.
Here, Zawadi tells the doctor that her tête (head) hurts. She uses à la because "tête" is a feminine noun.
Another example from the textbook:
Daudi : Aïe ! J'ai mal au dos aussi !
Daudi says his dos (back) hurts. We use au because "dos" is a masculine noun.
Complete the sentences with the correct article:
- J'ai mal ___ tête. (au / à la)
- Tu as mal ___ cou. (au / à la)
- Elle a mal ___ yeux. (à l' / aux)
- Nous avons mal ___ jambes. (au / aux)
Answers: 1. à la 2. au 3. aux 4. aux
- Use avoir mal à + body part to say what hurts
- Remember: à la, au, à l', aux — choose the correct form
- Use être + adjective for feelings like tired or sick
In Tanzania, you can use these French phrases when visiting a French-speaking doctor or hospital, or when talking to a friend from a French-speaking country like Rwanda or the Democratic Republic of Congo. For example, if you are at a clinic in Dar es Salaam and meet a French-speaking patient, you can say "J'ai mal à la tête" to explain that your head hurts, and they will understand you immediately.
Swali
What is the English meaning of la tête?
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