jambe
/ʒɑ̃b/feminine
The English word 'leg' is jambe in French.
The term refers to the lower limb from the groin to the ankle. When expressing that your leg hurts, use the construction avoir mal à la jambe, which literally means 'to have pain to the leg', instead of using a single verb for 'to hurt'.
Meaning: lower limb from groin to ankle (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of jambe is jambes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒɑ̃b/
Did you know?
- In French, the word for a 'leg' of a journey is not jambe but étape. This means a traveler cannot use the anatomical word to describe a stage of a trip.
- The term jambon, meaning 'ham', is actually a diminutive of the word for leg, jambe, referring to the cut of meat.
- The word jambe can describe the part of a wine glass that holds the bowl, known in English as the 'stem'.
Examples in context
- J’ai mal à la jambe.My leg hurts.This sentence is useful for saying that your jambe hurts.Tatoeba #3609718 by gillux, translation #3717736 by CK
- La jambe est cassée.The leg is broken.This sentence is useful for describing a broken jambe.Tatoeba #6576587 by GB3, translation #6576502 by Eccles17
- Tom n'a qu'une jambe.Tom has only one leg.This sentence is useful for stating that someone has only one jambe.Tatoeba #3483006 by Lulantis, translation #3166167 by CK
- Le coureur s'est blessé à la jambe .The runner injured his leg.
- Elle porte des bas sur ses jambes .She wears stockings on her legs.
- Le chirurgien a travaillé sur la jambe fracturée.The surgeon worked on the fractured leg.
- Regarde cet adorable chaton avec des toutes petites patounes .Look at this adorable kitten with tiny little legs.
- J'ai marché toute la journée, maintenant j'ai mal aux pattes .I've been walking all day, now my legs hurt.
- 155 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are talking after a long walk.
- ChloéJ'ai une crampe dans la jambe.I have a cramp in my leg.
- NathanTu devrais t'asseoir un moment, Chloé.You should sit down for a moment, Chloé.
- ChloéOui, ma jambe est vraiment fatiguée.Yes, my leg is really tired.
- NathanRepose-toi bien, Nathan va t'aider.Rest well, Nathan will help you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leg” translations and entries jambe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
