Phrasebook
Bras or main? French phrases for arms and hands
Learn le bras and la main through classroom instructions, carrying things and asking for help. Practise left and right, body-part phrases and a short quiz.
- A1
- 16 phrases
- 5 situations
- Learn this in the A1 notebook →
In short
Le bras is the arm; la main is the hand. You carry a large box dans les bras and hold a ticket dans la main. For “give me a hand” meaning “help me”, say donne-moi un coup de main.
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From your arm to your fingertips
Find:
| Meaning | Arm | Hand |
|---|---|---|
| right | le bras droit | la main droite |
| left | le bras gauche | la main gauche |
| both | les bras | les mains |
Bras already ends in -s: un bras, deux bras. Main adds -s in the plural: une main, deux mains. Add -e to droit with feminine main: la main droite. Gauche keeps the same form with either noun.
Raise your hand in class
Follow a movement instruction
Hold a ticket
Ask for help with a box
Un coup de main means help. Learn the whole expression.
Say which body part hurts
What French phrases use bras and main?
Elle porte son bébé dans les bras.
She carries her baby in her arms.
Il tient une clé dans la main.
He holds a key in his hand.
J’écris l’adresse à la main.
I write the address by hand.
Here à la main means “by hand”. Dans la main tells you where someone is holding an object.