hanche
/ɑ̃ʃ/feminine
In French, the word for the anatomical joint 'hip' is hanche.
The noun hanche refers specifically to the anatomical hip joint. Note that if you are using 'hip' in English to mean someone is trendy or fashionable, you should not use hanche. Instead, you might use branché, à la mode, stylé or even the English loanword cool.
Meaning: joint (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun hanche is feminine, so it is used with the feminine article la (e.g., la hanche).
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃ʃ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because 'hip' can mean both a body part and a synonym for 'trendy' in English, speakers may accidentally use the anatomical hanche when they actually mean to call something trendy. If you want to describe someone as fashionable, use branché instead.
Did you know?
- While hanche means 'hip' today, the Latin word for hip, 'coxa', evolved into the French word cuisse, which now means 'thigh'.
- French uses hanche for the joint, but the term bassin is used more broadly to refer to the entire pelvic region.
- In French, the phrase avoir le bras long describes someone with influence, but there is no similar idiomatic expression using hanche to describe power or status.
Examples in context
- Ma hanche me fait mal.My hip hurts.This sentence is useful for expressing physical pain in the hip.Tatoeba #1148112 by sacredceltic, translation #1148054 by cntrational
- J'ai été opéré de la hanche en 2013.I had hip surgery in 2013.This sentence is useful for discussing a past medical procedure regarding the hip.Tatoeba #8854419 by lbdx, translation #6666086 by CK
- Ma grand-mère est tombée et s'est cassé la hanche.My grandmother fell and broke her hip.This sentence is useful for describing a hip injury resulting from a fall.Tatoeba #9714647 by lbdx, translation #2335905 by CK
- Il est au courant des dernières tendances de modeHe is up to date with the latest fashion trends
- Cette jeune femme est toujours bien branchéeThat young woman is always hip
- Ce quartier est très à la modeThis neighborhood is very hip
- Cette personne a toujours l'air styléeThat person always looks hip
- Ce style vestimentaire est très tendanceThis fashion style is very hip
- Cette soirée était vraiment coolThat party was really hip
- La nouvelle boutique à Paris est vraiment branchée!The new shop in Paris is really trendy!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are at a fitness class.
- GabrielTu as mal à la hanche ?Does your hip hurt?
- LéaOui, j'ai une douleur à la hanche droite.Yes, I have a pain in my right hip.
- GabrielTu devrais te reposer, Léa.You should rest, Léa.
- LéaTu as raison, Gabriel.You are right, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hip” translations and entries hanche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hanche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
