tête
/tɛt/
tête is the French word for head.
tête refers to the part of the body that contains the brain and the face.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the North-Eastern regions of France, particularly in Lorraine, the colloquial term le ciboulot is used to mean la tête.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tête is always feminine. When used with the definite article, it is 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 'clay jug'.
- While you use tête for the body part, you would use chef to refer to the 'head' or 'leader' of an organization or a team.
- French uses tête in the phrase tête-à-tête, which English has borrowed to describe a private conversation between two people.
Examples in context
- Elle a mal à la tête.She has a headache.
- Il a dû prendre un coup sur le ciboulot pour agir comme ça.He must have hit his head to act like that.
- Elle porte un chapeau sur la tête.She is wearing a hat on her head.
- J'ai mal à la tête aujourd'hui.I have a headache today.
- Il a une petite tête ronde.He has a small, round head.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are at a pharmacy.
- LéaJe cherche quelque chose pour ma tête.I am looking for something for my head.
- NathanEst-ce que vous avez mal à la tête ?Do you have a headache?
- LéaOui, j'ai très mal à la tête.Yes, my head hurts a lot.
- NathanPrenez ce médicament, Nathan.Take this medicine, Nathan.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tête, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tête, CC BY-SA 4.0.
