Home › French › Glossary › nail
French vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "nail" in French?
le ongle
In French, "nail" is le ongle.
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free French learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Read ongle aloud, remembering that you finish with a nasal "oh" sound through the nose; the closing e is nearly swallowed rather than pronounced.
Grammar notes
le ongle is masculine. Its plural is clous.
Example sentence
Elle peignait chaque ongle en rouge vif.
She painted each nail bright red.
Test your French knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember le ongle
Repeat ongle three times fast, then once slowly, so both the sound and the shape settle in.
Related words
- skull le crâne
- spine la colonne vertébrale
- rib la côte
- skin la peau
- elbow le coude
- wrist le poignet
- ankle la cheville
- knee le genou
- shoulder l' épaule
Browse all French words in the glossary.
Questions about le ongle
How do you pronounce le ongle?
Read ongle aloud, remembering that you finish with a nasal "oh" sound through the nose; the closing e is nearly swallowed rather than pronounced.
Is le ongle masculine or feminine?
le ongle is masculine. le ongle is masculine. Its plural is clous.
How is le ongle used in French?
le ongle is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: Elle peignait chaque ongle en rouge vif. (She painted each nail bright red.).
Where can I practice French words for free?
You can play free French minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the French glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Nail" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the French language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town