Point and say
Body words are the one set you always carry with you. Touch each part as you say its word — the physical link is a memory device the research behind this site’s study guides would approve of.
Le corps — twelve body words
Head, eyes, nose, mouth, hands and feet — twelve body nouns with articles and respellings, including two spelling celebrities: les yeux (the eyes, said lay ZYUH) and les cheveux (the hair). The set powers next lesson’s descriptions, so say each one while pointing at it.
The words
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| la tête | the head | lah TEHT |
| les yeuxone eye = un œil (uh(n) NUH-yuh) — a famous irregular | the eyes | lay ZYUH |
| le nez | the nose | luh NAY |
| la bouche | the mouth | lah BOOSH |
| l’oreille | the ear | loh-RAY |
| les cheveux | the hair | lay shuh-VUH |
| la main | the hand | lah MA(n) |
| le bras | the arm | luh BRAH |
| la jambe | the leg | lah ZHAH(n)B |
| le pied | the foot | luh PYAY |
| le dos | the back | luh DOH |
| le ventre | the tummy | luh VAH(n)TR |
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
Do it now — on paper
- Run head-to-toe aloud, pointing: la tête, les yeux, le nez…
- Play a slow Simon-says with a partner using six body words.
- Write the twelve in gender columns; note that main is la despite its look.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.
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