French word

cou

Pronunciation

IPA/ku/

Meaning

  • masculine nounneck

Example

J'ai mal au cou.

My neck hurts.

Illustration for cou (neck)

More examples

Elle a mis une écharpe parce qu'elle a mal au cou.

She put on a scarf because she has a sore neck.

Core concept

A flexible support joins the head to the upper body and lets it turn and tilt.

Common phrases

  • avoir mal au cou

    have a sore neck

  • se tordre le cou

    twist one's neck

  • avoir le cou raide

    have a stiff neck

Similar words

nuque: The back of the neck at the base of the head.
gorge: The throat, a passage for air and food.
tête: The head, including the face and brain, above the neck.
épaule: The shoulder joint connecting the arm to the torso.

Definition in French

Région du corps humain entre la tête et la poitrine, composée de muscles et de vertèbres cervicales et permettant le mouvement de la tête.

Word origin

French cou comes from Latin collum through forms in Old French, with historical changes in pronunciation and spelling.

Usage tips

  • Cou is masculine, and à le cou contracts to au cou, as in avoir mal au cou.

Word lists with this word