{"id":25932,"date":"2017-01-26T20:47:57","date_gmt":"2017-01-26T19:47:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/?p=25932"},"modified":"2018-03-23T13:54:54","modified_gmt":"2018-03-23T12:54:54","slug":"head-shoulders-knees-toes-body-parts-in-french-their-actions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/french\/head-shoulders-knees-toes-body-parts-in-french-their-actions\/","title":{"rendered":"Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes – Body Parts in French and Their Actions"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’ve all got them. We’re made of them. We use them all the time. In fact, you’re using some of them to read this post!<\/p>\n

I’d argue that it’s safe to say you learn the body parts in a traditional French classroom within the first few weeks. They’re very useful words, especially when you’re just starting to talk about yourself in a foreign language. Even still, you generally only learn a few of them. When I first travelled to France, I’d already learned how to say head and arm, but you never know what word you may need in everyday conversation. I remember learning the word for ankle (la cheville<\/strong>) when I went ice skating with some friends – I was complaining about ankle pain but didn’t know the word for the body part causing me the agony. Once they taught me, I knew I’d remember the word forever because it was now linked to that event. \u00a0Over the years, I learned more words, but I also learned how to say what these body parts do.<\/p>\n

For today’s post, I thought I’d introduce the body parts and list the verbs for the actions they do. That way, you can match the two words together.<\/p>\n

(PS: I haven’t gone ice skating since then. I’m no athlete.)<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

la t\u00eate<\/strong><\/span> – head<\/span><\/em>
\nhocher<\/strong> – to nod\/shake
\ntourner<\/strong> – to turn<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

les oreilles (f)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– ears<\/span><\/em>
\n\u00e9couter<\/strong> – to listen to
\nentendre<\/strong> – to listen to
\n\u00e9couter aux portes<\/strong> [familiar] – to listen at the door
\ntendre l’oreille<\/strong> – to listen carefully\/keep your ears open<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

l’\u0153il (m)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– eye;\u00a0les yeux<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– eyes
\nle sourcil<\/strong><\/span>– eyebrow
\nle cil<\/strong><\/span>– eyelash<\/span><\/em>
\nvoir<\/strong> – to see
\nregarder<\/strong> – to watch
\nobserver<\/strong> – to observe
\nmater<\/strong> – to check out [informal]
\ncligner<\/strong> – to blink
\nfaire un clin d’\u0153il<\/strong> – to wink
\nfixer<\/strong> – to stare at someone
\nscruter<\/strong> – to examine<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

le nez<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– nose<\/span><\/em>
\nrespirer (par le nez)<\/strong> – to breathe (through your nose)
\nsentir<\/b> – to smell
\nrenifler<\/strong> – to sniff
\navoir le nez qui coule<\/strong> – to have a runny nose
\nse moucher<\/strong> – to blow your nose<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

la bouche<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– mouth
\nles l\u00e8vres<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– lips
\nles dents (f)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– teeth
\nla langue<\/strong><\/span>– tongue<\/span><\/em>
\nmanger<\/strong> – to eat
\nm\u00e2cher<\/strong>\/mastiquer<\/strong> – to chew
\nronger<\/strong> – to gnaw
\nembrasser<\/strong> – to kiss
\nlecher<\/strong> – to lick
\nparler<\/strong> – to talk
\nbavarder<\/strong> – to chat
\nrespirer (par la bouche)<\/strong> – to breathe (through your mouth)
\ncracher<\/strong> – to spit
\nsiroter<\/strong> – to sip<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

la gorge<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– throat<\/span><\/em>
\navaler<\/strong> – to swallow
\nracler la gorge<\/strong> – to clear your throat<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

le cou<\/strong><\/span>– neck<\/span><\/em>
\nse tordre<\/strong> – to twist\/wring\/knot
\nse d\u00e9visser le cou<\/strong> – to gawk at\/stare at something
\ntordre le cou \u00e0 quelqu’un<\/strong> – to strangle someone<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

la poitrine<\/strong><\/span>– chest<\/span><\/em>
\ntousser<\/strong> – to cough
\ngonfler la poitrine<\/strong> [expression] – to be proud of yourself
\nles \u00e9paules (f)\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>– shoulders<\/span><\/em>
\nhousser<\/strong> – to shrug<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

la main<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– hand<\/span><\/em>
\nles doigts<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– fingers<\/span><\/em>
\nle poignet\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>– wrist<\/span><\/em>
\nle coude\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>– elbow<\/span><\/em>
\nfaire craquer les doigts<\/strong> – to crack your knuckles
\nmontrer du droigt<\/strong> – to point at
\nclaquer les doits<\/strong> – to snap
\nfaire un doigt d’honneur<\/strong> – to give someone the finger\/flip the bird
\ngrater<\/strong> – to scratch
\ntenir<\/strong> – to hold
\ntoucher<\/strong> – to touch
\napplaudir<\/strong> – to applaud\/clap
\nserrer (les mains)<\/strong> – to shake hands
\nfrotter<\/strong> – to rub
\ngiffler<\/strong> – to slap
\ndonner un coup de poing \u00e0 quelqu’un<\/strong> – to punch someone
\ntendre la main<\/strong> – to hold your hand out
\ntendre les bras \u00e0 quelqu’un<\/strong> – to welcome somebody with open arms<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

le ventre<\/u><\/b> – stomach<\/span><\/em>
\ndig\u00e9rer<\/strong> – to digest
\ngargouiller<\/strong> – to growl<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

les jambes (f)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– legs
\nles genoux (m)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– knees
\nles pieds (m)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– feet
\nles orteils (m)<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0– toes<\/span><\/em>
\ntenir debout<\/strong> – to stand
\nmarcher<\/strong> – to walk
\ncourir<\/strong> – to run
\ndonner un coup de pied \u00e0 quelqu’un<\/strong> – to kick someone
\nenjamber<\/strong> – to step over
\ns’agenouiller –\u00a0<\/strong>to kneel
\nse mettre \u00e0 genoux –\u00a0<\/strong>to get on your knees<\/p>\n

This list certainly isn’t exhaustive. Any other verbs you’d add to the lists?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"\"

We’ve all got them. We’re made of them. We use them all the time. In fact, you’re using some of them to read this post! I’d argue that it’s safe to say you learn the body parts in a traditional French classroom within the first few weeks. They’re very useful words, especially when you’re just…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":125,"featured_media":29109,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[1,13],"tags":[210,408541],"class_list":["post-25932","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-vocabulary","tag-body-parts-in-french","tag-les-parties-du-corp"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t