How to Say "I Have a Headache" in French

j'ai mal à la tête

The French phrase for "I have a headache" is j'ai mal à la tête.

You use j'ai mal à la tête to express that you are experiencing a headache.

Meaning: I have a headache (phrase)

What does it mean word for word?

Literally, the phrase translates to "I have pain at the head".

The expression avoir mal à is used to indicate pain in a specific body part. It is followed by the definite article and the name of that body part.

Avoid saying j'ai une migraine if you only mean a general headache, as migraine refers specifically to a medical migraine.

The word tête originates from the Latin word testa, which means a 'pot' or 'jug'. This suggests that ancient speakers viewed the head as a vessel or a hollow container.
In French, the same word mal is used both for the physical sensation of 'pain' and the concept of 'evil'.
The French word tête is the root of the English word 'testudines', used in biology to describe turtles because of their hard 'pot-like' shells.

J'ai mal à la tête ce matin.
I have a headache this morning.
This sentence is useful for noting when the headache occurs in the morning.
Tatoeba #3260375 by Aiji, translation #3260376 by CK
Pas ce soir, j'ai mal à la tête.
Not tonight, I have a headache.
This sentence is useful for explaining why you might not want to do something in the evening.
Tatoeba #676650 by qdii, translation #1507893 by rileyphone
J'ai mal à la tête et je souffre de toux.
I have a headache and I am suffering from a cough.
This sentence is useful for describing a headache alongside a cough.
Tatoeba #129597 by Aiji, translation #280180 by orzage
J'ai mal à la tête depuis ce matin.
I've had a headache since this morning.
J'ai un mal de tête lancinant.
I have a throbbing headache.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Hugo and Léa are studying in a library.

Sources

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