Parts of the Body in French
Which French body words do you already know?
Lesduur is: 70 minOnderdelen in deze les
Which French body words do you already know?
Use this to surface any body-part words pupils already know in French or words they think they know. Accept partial recall and use the results to build confidence.
Parts of the Body in French
Open with the idea that French words help us name body parts and talk simply about how we feel, especially when something hurts.
Our learning goal
I can name parts of the body in French and say simply when something hurts.
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
The face
Here are some face words in French:
la tête - head
les yeux - eyes
le nez - nose
la bouche - mouth
les oreilles - ears
Keep pronunciation light and clear. For young children, it is enough to hear and repeat the words accurately without detailed grammar.
Saying pain: the head
In French, you can say:
J'ai mal à la tête.
It means:
I have a headache.
Model the phrase slowly: 'J'ai mal à la tête'. You may also explain that 'J'ai mal...' means 'I have pain...' or 'It hurts...'.
What the face parts do
les yeux help us see
les oreilles help us hear
le nez helps us smell
la bouche helps us eat, drink and speak
la tête holds and protects the brain
Use simple actions as you speak: point to eyes, ears, nose and mouth so children connect meaning, function and French word together.
More face pain words
You can also say:
J'ai mal aux yeux. - My eyes hurt.
J'ai mal au nez. - My nose hurts.
J'ai mal à la bouche. - My mouth hurts.
J'ai mal aux oreilles. - My ears hurt.
Do not over-explain the grammar change between au, à la and aux unless the class is ready. The main goal is useful meaning and confident speaking.
Face words and pain
Les yeux help us see, and le nez helps us smell. If your ears hurt, you can say J'ai mal aux oreilles.
This anchors both function and useful speaking from the face block using wording already taught on the content slides.
Which French phrase means 'I have a headache'?
J'ai mal au nez.
J'ai mal à la tête.
J'ai mal aux yeux.
J'ai mal à la bouche.
Checks the key model phrase from the face section. Distractors come from the nearby face pain expressions.
The upper body
Here are some upper body words in French:
le cou - neck
l'épaule - shoulder
le bras - arm
la main - hand
le ventre - tummy
Use 'tummy' rather than more formal vocabulary to suit younger children, while keeping the French word accurate and useful.
What the upper body parts do
le cou helps the head move
l'épaule helps the arm lift
le bras helps us carry and reach
la main helps us hold and touch
le ventre is where food is digested
For 'le ventre', keep the explanation simple: food goes in and the body uses it for energy. Avoid technical digestive vocabulary at this age.
A useful sentence
If your tummy hurts, you can say:
J'ai mal au ventre.
This means:
I have a tummy ache.
This is a very practical phrase for children. Reinforce it with mime by placing both hands on the stomach.
Which body part helps us hold and touch?
le ventre
le cou
la main
l'épaule
Tests understanding of upper-body functions, not just vocabulary matching.
Upper body phrases
Le bras helps us carry and reach. If your tummy hurts, you can say J'ai mal au ventre.. If your neck hurts, you can say J'ai mal au cou.
All blanks are load-bearing phrases taken directly from the upper-body teaching block.
What the lower body parts do
le dos helps us stand and bend
les hanches help the legs move
les fesses help us sit
la taille is the middle part of the body
For younger learners, focus on simple function and location rather than anatomy detail.
Which French phrase means 'My back hurts'?
J'ai mal aux hanches.
J'ai mal au dos.
J'ai mal à la taille.
J'ai mal aux fesses.
Checks practical recall from the lower-body pain slide with plausible same-topic distractors.
The leg region
Here are some leg region words in French:
la jambe - leg
le genou - knee
la cheville - ankle
le pied - foot
les orteils - toes
Pointing and movement work well here: bend the knee, wiggle toes, tap the ankle and foot.
What the leg region does
la jambe helps us walk and run
le genou helps the leg bend
la cheville helps the foot move
le pied helps us stand and balance
les orteils help with balance too
Keep linking each French word to an action. Movement makes vocabulary stick for young learners.
Saying pain: leg region
You can say:
J'ai mal à la jambe. - My leg hurts.
J'ai mal au genou. - My knee hurts.
J'ai mal à la cheville. - My ankle hurts.
J'ai mal au pied. - My foot hurts.
Children may ask how to say toes hurt. You can extend with 'J'ai mal aux orteils' if useful, but the main set on the slide is enough.
French pain pattern
A helpful pattern is:
J'ai mal + body part
Examples:
J'ai mal à la tête.
J'ai mal au bras.
J'ai mal au ventre.
J'ai mal au genou.
This slide ties the lesson together. Children do not need full grammar terminology; they just need to notice the repeating pattern for speaking.
Which part helps the leg bend?
la cheville
le pied
le genou
les orteils
Focuses on understanding function within the leg region, with nearby vocabulary as distractors.
French pain pattern
A helpful pattern is J'ai mal + body part. You can say J'ai mal au genou. for a sore knee, or J'ai mal au bras. for a sore arm.
This final content check ties the leg region into the overall lesson pattern for saying pain in French.
What is one French body word you will remember?
Expected answers should mention one French body part or one pain phrase from the lesson, such as 'la tête', 'le bras' or 'J'ai mal au ventre'. Invite pupils to say why they remember it.
What helped you learn the French words today?
Use this as a metacognitive reflection. Pupils may mention images, pointing, actions, repeating aloud, or the pain pattern 'J'ai mal...'.
Glossary
la tête - head
les yeux - eyes
le nez - nose
la bouche - mouth
les oreilles - ears
le cou - neck
l'épaule - shoulder
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Glossary
le bras - arm
la main - hand
le ventre - tummy
le dos - back
les hanches - hips
les fesses - bottom
la taille - waist
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Glossary
la jambe - leg
le genou - knee
la cheville - ankle
le pied - foot
les orteils - toes
J'ai mal - I have pain / it hurts
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
