The most common way to say “leg” in French is une jambe. But what if you're talking about the leg of a table, a chicken leg, or even using a bit of slang? The French language, in its richness, has different words for these different contexts. As you dive deeper into French, you'll find that knowing these specific terms can make your speech sound much more natural and precise. Let's take a look at nine different ways to say “leg” in French and when to use them!

1. The standard 'leg' – la jambe

The most common and standard word for 'leg' in French is la jambe. This is the go-to term for the entire lower limb of a human.

Crucially, jambe is a feminine noun. You must always use feminine articles like la (the) or une (a). Forgetting this is a common mistake for learners.

La jambe typically refers to the whole leg, from the hip to the foot. It's used in everyday conversation, medical contexts, and descriptions. For instance, you'd say 'Il a de longues jambes' (He has long legs).

The plural is straightforward: les jambes. When referring to both legs, you'll use this form, as in 'Mes jambes sont fatiguées après la randonnée' (My legs are tired after the hike).

A very common expression is se casser la jambe, which means 'to break one's leg'. It's used literally, unlike the English theatrical good luck wish 'Break a leg!'. For that, the French say 'Merde !'.

💡 * Je me suis fait mal à la jambe en courant. (I hurt my leg while running.)

• Elle portait une jupe qui montrait ses jambes. (She wore a skirt that showed her legs.)
• Le médecin a examiné ma jambe cassée. (The doctor examined my broken leg.)
• Après une longue journée, il aime étirer ses jambes. (After a long day, he likes to stretch his legs.)

The 'thigh' (upper leg) – la cuisse

The French word for the upper part of the leg, the 'thigh,' is la cuisse. It's a fundamental anatomical term that also appears in other interesting contexts.

As a feminine noun, you will always see it used with feminine articles like la or une. The pronunciation is approximately 'la kwees'. The 'u' sound is made by rounding your lips as if to say 'o' but trying to pronounce an 'ee' sound.

In its primary sense, la cuisse refers to the part of the human leg between the hip and the knee. This is a direct one-to-one translation with the English word 'thigh'. For example, you might talk about a muscle de la cuisse (thigh muscle).

Beyond anatomy, you will very frequently encounter la cuisse in a culinary context, especially on French menus. A cuisse de poulet is a chicken thigh or leg, and cuisse de canard is a duck leg, a key ingredient in dishes like duck confit.

There's a common and expressive idiom using this word: se taper sur les cuisses. Literally 'to slap one's thighs,' it's used to describe someone laughing heartily or finding something incredibly funny.

💡 * Le cycliste a des cuisses très musclées. (The cyclist has very muscular thighs.)

• J'ai commandé une cuisse de canard confite au restaurant. (I ordered a confit duck leg at the restaurant.)
• Elle a ressenti une douleur vive dans la cuisse gauche. (She felt a sharp pain in her left thigh.)
• Sa blague était si bonne que tout le monde se tapait sur les cuisses. (His joke was so good that everyone was roaring with laughter.)

The 'calf' (lower leg) – le mollet

To talk about the calf, the muscular part on the back of your lower leg, the French word you need is le mollet. It's a masculine noun, so you'll always use masculine articles like un or le.

Pronounced roughly as 'mo-lay', the word mollet is derived from the Old French word mol, meaning 'soft'. This accurately describes the fleshy, muscular nature of this body part.

You'll most commonly encounter le mollet in conversations about sports, fitness, or physical discomfort. For instance, you might complain about having une crampe au mollet (a cramp in the calf) after exercising.

When referring to both calves, you use the plural form, les mollets. The 's' is silent, so the pronunciation doesn't change. For example, J'ai mal aux mollets means 'My calves hurt'.

A common French idiom is avoir des mollets de coq (literally, 'to have rooster's calves'). This colorful expression is used to describe someone with very thin or skinny calves.

💡 * Après avoir couru, j'ai une douleur au mollet droit. (After running, I have a pain in my right calf.)

• Il a des mollets musclés parce qu'il fait beaucoup de vélo. (He has muscular calves because he bikes a lot.)
• Elle a eu une crampe au mollet pendant le match. (She got a cramp in her calf during the match.)
• Pour ce sport, il faut avoir de bons mollets. (For this sport, you need to have strong calves.)

The 'animal leg' or 'paw' – la patte

The 'animal leg' or 'paw' – la patte

In French, la patte is the word for an animal's 'paw' or 'leg'. It is the standard term used when referring to the limbs of most animals, particularly mammals and birds.

La patte is a feminine noun. Therefore, it is always accompanied by feminine articles and adjectives, such as la patte (the paw) or une patte cassée (a broken paw).

Beyond animals, patte is used in several expressions. For instance, 'pattes de mouche' (fly's legs) describes messy handwriting, while 'graisser la patte à quelqu'un' is an idiom for bribing someone.

💡 * Le chat a une patte blanche. (The cat has a white paw.)

• Attention, mon chien s'est blessé à la patte. (Be careful, my dog hurt its paw.)
• Regarde les empreintes de pattes dans la neige ! (Look at the paw prints in the snow!)
• Il a des pattes de mouche, je n'arrive pas à le lire. (He has terrible handwriting, I can't read it.)

The colloquial 'legs' (like 'pins') – les gambettes

Beyond the standard word for legs, jambes, French offers a more colorful and informal alternative: les gambettes.

Les gambettes is a familiar, often affectionate term for legs, much like calling them 'pins' or 'stems' in English. It's a diminutive of the older Italian-derived word gambe, also meaning leg.

This term is strictly informal and is used in a playful, light-hearted, or familial context. It's perfect for casual conversation but would be out of place in a formal or professional setting.

Grammatically, gambettes is a feminine plural noun (une gambette, les gambettes). It functions exactly like the standard word jambes in a sentence.

You'll often hear it in expressions related to movement or exercise, like 'stretching one's legs.' It can refer to anyone's legs, but it often carries a delicate or cute connotation, making it common when talking about children's or women's legs.

💡 * Allez, on va se dégourdir les gambettes ! (Come on, let's go stretch our legs!)

• Après la randonnée, j'ai les gambettes en compote. (After the hike, my legs feel like jelly.)
• Regarde les petites gambettes de ce bébé ! (Look at this baby's little legs!)

1. The old-fashioned slang for 'legs' – les guiboles

To talk about legs in a very old-fashioned, slangy way, you can use the word les guiboles. It's a colorful and somewhat vintage term that adds a specific flavor to your French vocabulary.

Pronounced ghib-ohl, les guiboles is a familiar term for 'legs'. It belongs to the registre familier or even argot (slang) and is not something you'd use in formal conversation. Think of it as the French equivalent of calling legs 'gams' or 'pins' in English.

This term evokes a sense of the past, often associated with early to mid-20th century France. While most French people would understand it, it's not commonly used by younger generations today. Using it can make you sound like a character from a classic French film, which can be charming if used in the right context.

It's a fun word to know for understanding old movies or books, but it's best avoided in everyday modern conversation unless you're intentionally trying to be playful or sound retro. For standard situations, stick to the neutral term les jambes.

💡 * J'ai mal aux guiboles après cette longue marche. (My legs are sore after this long walk.)

• Allez, remue tes guiboles, on va être en retard ! (Come on, move your legs, we're going to be late!)
• Elle a de sacrées guiboles ! (She's got some serious legs!)

The slang for 'legs' (like 'stilts') – les cannes

The word les cannes is a popular slang term for 'legs' in French. Its literal meaning is 'canes' or 'walking sticks,' which creates a humorous image of long, thin legs, much like calling them 'stilts' or 'pins' in English.

Les cannes is a feminine plural noun and is used exclusively in informal, colloquial contexts. You would use it among friends to sound more like a native speaker, but you would stick to the standard word, les jambes, in any formal setting.

💡 * Regarde les cannes de ce joueur de basket ! (Look at the legs on that basketball player!)

• J'ai tellement dansé hier soir que j'ai mal aux cannes aujourd'hui. (I danced so much last night that my legs are sore today.)
• Avec ses longues cannes, elle court très vite. (With her long legs, she runs very fast.)

The humorous 'leg' (like a leg of lamb) – le gigot

The humorous 'leg' (like a leg of lamb) – le gigot

First and foremost, un gigot is a culinary term for a 'leg of lamb' or 'leg of mutton.' You will frequently encounter this word on menus in French restaurants or at the boucherie (butcher shop).

In informal, familiar French, les gigots is a humorous slang term for a person's legs. It’s a playful and slightly comical word, used among friends or in a lighthearted context.

This term is purely informal. You might hear someone exclaim, Allez, bouge tes gigots ! which means 'Come on, move your legs!' or 'Get a move on!' It’s a friendly and funny way to tell someone to hurry up.

💡 * Le plat principal est un gigot d'agneau rôti avec des haricots verts.

• Après avoir couru un marathon, j'ai vraiment mal aux gigots.
• Arrête de rester assis et va remuer tes gigots dehors !

1. The 'shin' – le tibia

The French word for 'shin' is le tibia. It is a masculine noun and is a direct cognate of the English word 'tibia,' as both come from the Latin term for the shinbone.

Just like in English, le tibia refers specifically to the shinbone, which is the large bone at the front of the lower leg. It is used in both medical and everyday language to talk about this part of the body.

A very common and useful related term is le protège-tibia (plural: les protège-tibias), which means 'shin guard.' This word is frequently used in the context of sports like soccer (le football) or hockey.

💡 * Je me suis cogné le tibia contre la table. (I hit my shin on the table.)

• Le médecin a dit que j'avais une petite fracture au tibia. (The doctor said I have a small fracture in my tibia.)
• N'oublie pas tes protège-tibias pour le match de foot ! (Don't forget your shin guards for the soccer game!)
• Elle a un gros bleu sur le tibia gauche. (She has a big bruise on her left shin.)

Are there other ways to say 'leg' in French?

So, are there other ways to say 'leg' in French?

This list covers the most essential words for 'leg' in French, from the standard jambe to the informal guibole. However, French is rich with specific vocabulary for different contexts, including anatomy, cooking, and even slang that varies by region.

To expand your vocabulary, you can search online for terms like “argot pour jambes” (slang for legs) or explore diagrams of furniture to learn words like pied de table (table leg).

Always remember that context is critical. For example, using patte to refer to a person's leg is often considered rude or pejorative. Before using a new term, try to see how it's used in real-life examples.

Pay attention when you're watching, reading, or listening to French content. You'll start to notice these different words for 'leg' in their natural habitat, which is the best way to understand their subtle meanings and uses.

If you want to explore the vast world of French expressions involving legs, a great dictionary resource like the WordReference entry for jambe is a fantastic starting point. You'll find dozens of useful idioms.

I hope this guide has given you a leg up on your vocabulary! To finish, here is a classic French idiom: Prendre ses jambes à son cou. It literally means 'to take one's legs to one's neck,' and it's a vivid way to say you're running away as fast as you can!