langue
/lɑ̃ɡ/feminine
The English word "tongue" is translated into French as langue.
The word langue refers to the physical organ in the mouth. It is also the term used to refer to a spoken language.
Meaning: organ (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a feminine noun, the definite article used for langue is la.
How do you pronounce it?
/lɑ̃ɡ/
Did you know?
- The French expression langue de bois literally means 'wood tongue' but refers to using overly complex, vague or political language to avoid answering a question directly.
- In culinary French, langue de chat refers to a thin, finger-shaped biscuit, literally translating to 'tongue of a cat'.
- The phrase avoir la langue bien pendue means to have a 'well-hung tongue', which describes someone who is talkative or glib.
Examples in context
- Tire la langue !Stick out your tongue.This sentence demonstrates an instruction to stick out your langue.Tatoeba #5678034 by sacredceltic, translation #460265 by jeanne
- Tiens ta langue !Bite your tongue.This sentence is used as an instruction to bite your langue.Tatoeba #1852037 by sacredceltic, translation #1850263 by CK
- Ma langue a fourché.My tongue slipped.This sentence describes a situation where a langue slipped.Tatoeba #6554 by sysko, translation #240516 by shekitten
- J'ai mal à la langueI have a sore tongue
- Je me suis brûlé la langue en buvant du café brûlant.I burned my tongue by drinking scalding coffee.
- Arrête de mettre ta langue sur ta lèvre, c'est une mauvaise habitude.Stop putting your tongue on your lip, it's a bad habit.
- J'ai accidentellement mordu ma langue en mangeant.I accidentally bit my tongue while eating.
- 167 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A doctor's office during a check-up.
- HugoOuvrez la bouche, s'il vous plaît.Open your mouth, please.
- ManonEst-ce que ma langue est rouge ?Is my tongue red?
- HugoNon, votre langue a un aspect normal.No, your tongue looks normal.
- ManonC'est rassurant, merci Docteur.That's reassuring, thank you Doctor.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tongue” translations and entries langue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
