cheville
/ʃə.vij/feminine
The English word ankle is translated into French as cheville.
cheville is a noun used to refer to the joint between the foot and the leg.
Meaning: joint between foot and leg (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun cheville is feminine and is preceded by the feminine article la (e.g., la cheville).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʃə.vij/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word cheville actually comes from the Latin word for 'little key', specifically the diminutive form clāvicula.
- In French, the word cheville also means 'peg' or 'dowel' used in carpentry. This double meaning comes from the way a wooden peg is driven into a hole, resembling the structural role of an ankle.
- The French expression avoir la cheville qui flageole describes someone whose ankles are shaking, usually due to extreme fear or nervousness.
Examples in context
- Ma cheville me démange.My ankle itches.This sentence is useful for describing an itching sensation in your cheville.Tatoeba #7683450 by Micsmithel, translation #6733257 by Eccles17
- Il a une cheville foulée.He's got a sprained ankle.This sentence is useful for stating that someone has a sprained cheville.Tatoeba #12170021 by lbdx, translation #8935650 by sundown
- Il s'est foulé la cheville.He sprained his ankle.This sentence is useful for describing the action of spraining one's cheville.Tatoeba #4696167 by sacredceltic, translation #301016 by CK
- Je me suis foulé la cheville.I sprained my ankle.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are at a clinic after a soccer game.
- EmmaEst-ce que ma cheville est cassée ?Is my ankle broken?
- GabrielNon, c'est juste une petite entorse à la cheville.No, it is just a small sprain of the ankle.
- EmmaElle est très enflée.It is very swollen.
- GabrielJe vais te donner un médicament pour la douleur.I am going to give you some medicine for the pain.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ankle” translations and entries cheville, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cheville, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
