tête
/tɛt/feminine
The English word head is translated into French as tête.
tête is the most common and widely used term for the part of the body known as the head. You can use it in various idiomatic expressions, such as avoir la tête dans les nuages to mean being absent-minded (having one's head in the clouds) or se casser la tête to describe overthinking something or working very hard to solve a problem.
Meaning: part of the body (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tête is the standard term, crâne is used specifically to refer to the bony structure of the head in medical or anatomical discussions. Additionally, céphalique is an adjective used in scientific or technical contexts to describe things related to the head.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In very casual or slang settings, you might hear boule or the informal term caboche used to refer to the head.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tête is feminine, so when using the definite article 'the', you use la tête.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɛt/
Did you know?
- The word tête actually comes from the Latin word 'testa', which originally meant a 'pot' or a 'jug'.
- The term crâne is used not just for the skull, but also to describe a person who is very bold or daring in certain slang contexts.
- In French, you might call someone a 'tête de mule' if they are being stubborn, playing on the image of a stubborn donkey.
Examples in context
- Je veux sa tête.I want his head.This sentence demonstrates the use of tête to express wanting a specific person's head.Tatoeba #6048099 by Fabimoto, translation #6046870 by mailohilohi
- Baisse la tête !Duck your head!This sentence uses tête in an imperative command to duck one's head.Tatoeba #10923719 by lbdx, translation #2245414 by CK
- Utilise ta tête !Use your head!This sentence uses tête in a figurative way to tell someone to use their brain.Tatoeba #1901056 by sacredceltic, translation #1894373 by Spamster
- J'ai mal à la têteI have a headache
- Il a une belle têteHe has a nice face
- 397 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are talking about a headache.
- ChloéJ'ai très mal à la tête aujourd'hui.I have a very bad headache today.
- LucasTu as touché ta tête ?Did you hit your head?
- ChloéNon, mais ma tête me fait mal.No, but my head hurts.
- LucasRepose ta tête un peu, Chloé.Rest your head for a bit, Chloé.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “head” translations and entries tête, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tête, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
