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French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "headache" in French?
le mal de tête
In French, "headache" is le mal de tête.
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Pronunciation
Break mal de tête into sounds, knowing that the closing e is nearly swallowed rather than pronounced; è or ê opens into "eh".
Grammar notes
le mal de tête is masculine. Its plural is maux de tête.
Example sentence
Trop de bruit me donnait mal à la tête.
Too much noise gave me a headache.
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How to remember le mal de tête
Think of mal de tête as sounding a little like an English word tucked inside it, and let that echo carry the meaning of headache.
Related words
- skull le crâne
- spine la colonne vertébrale
- rib la côte
- skin la peau
- nail le ongle
- elbow le coude
- wrist le poignet
- ankle la cheville
- knee le genou
Browse all French words in the glossary.
Questions about le mal de tête
How do you pronounce le mal de tête?
Break mal de tête into sounds, knowing that the closing e is nearly swallowed rather than pronounced; è or ê opens into "eh".
Is le mal de tête masculine or feminine?
le mal de tête is masculine. le mal de tête is masculine. Its plural is maux de tête.
How is le mal de tête used in French?
le mal de tête is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: Trop de bruit me donnait mal à la tête. (Too much noise gave me a headache.).
Where can I practice French words for free?
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"Headache" in other languages
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