dos
/do/masculine
In French, the word for the anatomical back is dos.
dos is a masculine noun used to refer to the rear part of the human body.
Meaning: the rear of body (noun)
Which one should you use?
While dos refers to the anatomical back, the word arrière is used to refer to the back or rear of an object, such as a car or a building. If you want to describe something as being near the rear, you can use de derrière or postérieur, whereas écarté means being away from the main area.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When talking about one's own back, French typically uses the definite article le (le dos) rather than the possessive adjective used in English (my back).
How do you pronounce it?
/do/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse dos with doux (meaning soft or sweet) because of similar sounds, but dos ends in a pure vowel sound /do/.
Did you know?
- The expression faire le dos rond literally means 'to arch one's back', but it is used idiomatically to describe someone who is playing defensively or avoiding responsibility.
- The phrase tourner le dos means 'to turn one's back', but when used as tourner le dos à quelqu'un, it specifically means to abandon or betray someone in their time of need.
- The Latin ancestor of dos, which is dorsum, is also the root of the English word 'dorsal', used commonly in biology to describe a fin or a ridge on the back of an animal.
Examples in context
- Redresse ton dos !Straighten your back!This sentence is useful for giving a command to straighten one's back using dos.Tatoeba #8724063 by Micsmithel, translation #642494 by minshirui
- Mon dos est raide.My back is stiff.This sentence is useful for describing a stiff back using dos.Tatoeba #12178510 by lbdx, translation #5774433 by Hybrid
- Je dors sur le dos.I sleep on my back.This sentence is useful for describing sleeping on one's back using dos.Tatoeba #10510804 by lbdx, translation #9237008 by CK
- Je vais retourner chez moiI'm going back home.
- Elle est revenue au bureauShe came back to the office.
- Je reviens tout de suiteI'll be right back.
- Il est déjà de retourHe's already back.
- 216 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa is helping Gabriel apply ointment to a sore spot.
- GabrielJ'ai mal au dos.My back hurts.
- LéaOù as-tu mal exactement ?Where exactly does it hurt?
- GabrielJuste ici, au milieu du dos.Just here, in the middle of my back.
- LéaJe vais mettre de la crème sur ton dos.I will put some cream on your back.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “back” translations and entries dos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
