French Conversation · Level 4
88 words
French word
dos
Pronunciation
IPA/do/
Meaning
- masculine nounback
Example
J'ai mal au dos.
My back is hurting.
More examples
Il a un tatouage sur le dos.
He has a tattoo on his back.
Core concept
The body's rear area from the neck to the waist, centered on the spine and supporting posture.
Common phrases
avoir mal au dos
have back pain
se faire mal au dos
hurt one's back
mal de dos
back pain
Similar words
bas du dos: The lower back area near the waist.
nuque: The back of the neck.
colonne vertébrale: The row of bones running down the center of the back.
Definition in French
Terme désignant la partie arrière du corps humain entre le cou et la taille, en lien avec la colonne vertébrale et la posture corporelle.
Word origin
French dos descends from Latin dorsum through Old French, with historical shortening leading to the modern form.
Usage tips
- In avoir mal au dos, dos is masculine, so the phrase uses au, not à la.