poitrine
/pwa.tʁin/feminine
The French word for 'chest' is poitrine.
poitrine is used to refer to the thorax or the chest area.
Meaning: thorax (noun)
Which one should you use?
While poitrine refers to the chest or thorax, it is also the standard word used for a woman's breasts. If you are referring specifically to the muscular or physical trunk of the body (the torso) rather than the chest area itself, use torse.
How does it change in a sentence?
poitrine is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pwa.tʁin/
Did you know?
- In a culinary context, poitrine refers to a specific cut of pork or veal from the belly or brisket area.
- The word poitrine shares its linguistic roots with the Spanish word pretina, which actually means 'waistband'.
- The phrase à pleine poitrine is used to describe someone singing or shouting at the top of their lungs.
Examples in context
- J’ai mal à la poitrine.I have a chest pain.This sentence is useful for expressing chest pain.Tatoeba #2267990 by MartinShadock, translation #436623 by lukaszpp
- Il a une poitrine velue.He has a hairy chest.This sentence is useful for describing a hairy chest.Tatoeba #11772805 by lbdx, translation #2192613 by Hybrid
- J'ai une douleur à la poitrine.I have a pain in my chest.Tatoeba #7290615 by Aiji, translation #436637 by lukaszpp
- La poitrine est une partie du corps humain.The chest is a part of the human body.
- 32 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are at the gym.
- NathanJe sens une tension dans la poitrine.I feel some tension in my chest.
- ChloéTu devrais t'arrêter un instant, Nathan.You should stop for a moment, Nathan.
- NathanOui, ma poitrine est très serrée.Yes, my chest feels very tight.
- ChloéRespire calmement et assieds-toi.Breathe calmly and sit down.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chest” translations and entries poitrine, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poitrine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
