la
/tɛt/
Translation
head
Word origin
From Late Latin testa ('earthen pot, shell'), used colloquially for 'skull' and then 'head', displacing the classical Latin caput.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- testa
- English cognates
- test, testaceous
Grammar
Examples
J' , - .
I've had a headache since this morning, perhaps because of the noise.
, .
She lowered her head to say yes, without saying a word.
cette .
Keep a cool head in this difficult situation.
Cette .
This idea has been going round in my head since last night.
.
He went out of his mind when he heard the news.
est un nom féminin très productif en locutions idiomatiques. Avoir mal à la tête (to have a headache) est très courant. Garder la tête froide (to keep a cool head) et perdre la tête (to lose one's mind, to go crazy) sont des expressions bien établies.
En tête (at the front, in the lead) et à la tête de (at the head of, leading) sont des locutions prépositionnelles. Coup de tête (impulsive act, headbutt) et tête-à-tête (face to face, private meeting) sont des composés courants. Faire la tête (to sulk, to pull a long face) et avoir la grosse tête (to be big-headed, conceited) sont idiomatiques. Tête baissée (headlong, without thinking) décrit une action imprudente.
Where this fits
Used in
Stories
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Le jour du travail
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Le nouveau docteur
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Il faut que tu partes
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Un voyage difficile
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Une rencontre au marché
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En rentrant chez elle
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La seule qui puisse
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tête: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "tête" (head): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 5.