Bouche or langue? Mouth, tongue and language in French
Learn la bouche and the two everyday meanings of la langue. Use picture vocabulary, a singing scene and four questions to choose the right word.
In short
La bouche is the mouth. La langue means the tongue, and also a language: tirer la langue means “stick out your tongue”; apprendre une langue means “learn a language”. Both nouns are feminine.
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Four parts around the mouth
Find:
What is the difference between bouche and langue?
la bouchemouth
Focus: the opening you use to eat and speak
Ouvre la bouche, s’il te plaît.
Open your mouth, please.
Il parle la bouche pleine.
He speaks with his mouth full.
la languetongue
Focus: the body part inside the mouth
Le bébé tire la langue.
The baby sticks out its tongue.
Elle se mord la langue.
She bites her tongue.
- Cheffe de chœur
Ouvrez la bouche et regardez devant vous.
Open your mouths and look straight ahead.
- Mila
On chante dans quelle langue ?
What language are we singing in?
- Cheffe de chœur
En français, puis en italien.
In French, then in Italian.
- Mila
J’apprends l’italien. J’adore cette langue !
I’m learning Italian. I love that language!
In the first line, bouche names a body part. In Mila’s question, dans quelle langue asks which language. The verbs parler, apprendre and traduire often give you the language meaning of langue.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| une langue étrangère | a foreign language |
| une langue maternelle | a native language |
| une nouvelle langue | a new language |
| une bouchée de pain | a mouthful of bread |
| une petite bouche | a small mouth |
What French expressions use bouche and langue?
Elle prend une bouchée de pain.
She takes a bite of bread.
Une bouchée is a bite or mouthful. The extra -ée changes the noun.
Tu peux lui faire confiance : elle sait tenir sa langue.
You can trust her: she knows how to keep a secret.
Tenir sa langue means keeping quiet about something.
For a request, add s’il te plaît or s’il vous plaît. Ferme la bouche ! can sound abrupt when directed at someone. The choir’s Ouvrez la bouche is a practical instruction addressed to the group.