parties du corps
The English phrase 'body parts' is translated into French as parties du corps.
Examples of specific body parts include le nez (the nose), les yeux (the eyes), le bras (the arm), la main (the hand) and le pied (the foot). Other terms include les cheveux (the hair), le visage (the face), le dos (the back), le ventre (the stomach), la jambe (the leg) and le genou (the knee).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is a literal translation of 'parts of the body', where parties means 'parts', du means 'of the' and corps means 'body'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form for a single body part is partie du corps. Note that the word corps is spelled with an 's' in both its singular and plural forms.
Did you know?
- In French, le pied refers to the foot, but it is also used in the phrase prendre son pied, which colloquially means to get great pleasure from something.
- In French, you often use definite articles like le or la instead of possessive adjectives when talking about your own body parts, such as saying J'ai mal à la tête instead of 'my head'.
- The word corps contains a silent 'p' that was actually added by scribes centuries ago to make the word look more like its Latin ancestor, 'corpus'.
Examples in context
- Il a de beaux yeux bleus.He has beautiful blue eyes.
- Pourquoi as-tu les oreilles rouges ?Why do you have red ears?
- J'ai mal au dos.My back hurts.
- Elle a une fracture du bras.She has a broken arm.
- Regarde mes jolis pieds !Look at my pretty feet!
- J'ai mal aux épaules à cause du stress.My shoulders hurt because of stress.
- Il a une cicatrice sur le cou.He has a scar on his neck.
- Elle a un tatouage sur le poignet.She has a tattoo on her wrist.
- Le dessin montre les différentes parties du corps.The drawing shows the different body parts.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are studying for a biology test.
- HugoEst-ce que tu révises les parties du corps ?Are you revising the body parts?
- LéaOui, j'étudie toutes les parties du corps pour l'examen.Yes, I am studying all the body parts for the exam.
- HugoC'est un peu difficile pour moi.It is a bit difficult for me.
- LéaNe t'inquiète pas, Hugo, tu vas réussir.Don't worry, Hugo, you will succeed.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries corps, du, CC BY-SA 4.0.
