The most common way to say 'neck' in French is le cou. But did you know there are several other terms, each with its own specific context? From formal anatomical terms to casual slang, the French language offers a surprising variety of words for this body part. Learning them will not only expand your vocabulary but also help you understand idiomatic expressions and sound more like a native. Let's dive into nine different ways to talk about the neck in French!

1. The standard 'neck' – le cou

The most common and direct word for 'neck' in French is le cou. It is the standard term you will hear and use in almost every context.

Le cou is a masculine singular noun. This is crucial for correct article and adjective agreement. For example, you would say un long cou (a long neck). The plural form is les cous.

This term applies to the neck of both humans and animals. Whether you're at the doctor's office (le médecin regarde votre cou) or at the zoo (le cou de la girafe), le cou is the correct word to use.

The pronunciation of cou is /ku/, which sounds identical to the English word 'coo'. Be careful not to confuse it in writing with le coup (a hit, a blow) or le coût (the cost), which are pronounced the same but spelled differently.

Le cou is also found in several French idioms:

Se jeter au cou de quelqu'un: To throw oneself into someone's arms (literally, 'to throw oneself at someone's neck').
Tordre le cou à une idée reçue: To debunk a myth or put an end to a cliché (literally, 'to twist the neck of a received idea').
Avoir la corde au cou: To be tied down or in a difficult situation with no escape (literally, 'to have the rope around one's neck').

💡 * J'ai mal au cou ce matin. (My neck hurts this morning.)

La girafe est connue pour son très long cou. (The giraffe is known for its very long neck.)

Elle portait une écharpe en soie autour du cou. (She wore a silk scarf around her neck.)

L'enfant a couru et s'est jeté au cou de son père. (The child ran and threw himself into his father's arms.)

The back of the neck or 'nape' – la nuque

The back of the neck or 'nape' – la nuque

While the general French word for 'neck' is le cou, the specific term for the back of the neck, or the 'nape,' is la nuque. This distinction is crucial for accurate anatomical and descriptive language.

You'll encounter la nuque most often in contexts related to physical sensations, hairstyles, or clothing. For example, describing a specific pain, an updo hairstyle that exposes the nape, or the collar of a shirt.

A frequent complaint you might hear is, J'ai mal à la nuque (I have a pain in the nape of my neck). Figuratively, the expression sentir le souffle de quelqu'un dans sa nuque means 'to feel someone breathing down your neck,' conveying a sense of pressure or being closely pursued.

In French culture, much like in others, la nuque can be considered a sensual or vulnerable area. Describing someone's nuque in literature or film often adds a layer of elegance, intimacy, or fragility to the scene.

So, to summarize: use le cou for the entire neck (front, sides, and back). Use la nuque when you are specifically referring to the back part, from the hairline down to the top of the shoulders. Mastering this will make your descriptions much more precise.

💡 * Le vent froid sur ma nuque me fit frissonner. (The cold wind on the back of my neck made me shiver.)

Elle a une coiffure qui dégage bien sa nuque. (She has a hairstyle that nicely exposes the nape of her neck.)

Après des heures devant l'ordinateur, j'ai souvent mal à la nuque. (After hours in front of the computer, I often have a sore nape.)

Le chat aime se frotter contre ma nuque. (The cat likes to rub against the back of my neck.)

The throat (front of the neck) – la gorge

The French word for 'throat,' referring to both the front of the neck and the internal passage for air and food, is la gorge. It is a feminine noun, so it is always preceded by feminine articles like la or une.

You will most frequently encounter this word when talking about being sick. The essential phrase for having a sore throat is avoir mal à la gorge. This literally translates to 'to have pain at the throat' and is a crucial expression for any French learner.

Context is key, as la gorge can also mean a 'gorge' or 'canyon' in a geographical sense. For example, les Gorges du Verdon is a famous canyon in southeastern France. The meaning is typically obvious from the conversation.

Beyond physical ailments, 'la gorge' appears in several common expressions. For instance, se racler la gorge means 'to clear one's throat,' and rire à gorge déployée is a colorful way to say 'to laugh out loud' or 'to roar with laughter'.

💡 * J'ai mal à la gorge, je pense que je suis malade.

Le collier est magnifique autour de sa gorge.

Nous avons fait une randonnée dans les gorges de la rivière.

Avant de parler, il s'est raclé la gorge.

Le bébé a une pastille coincée dans la gorge.

The gullet or windpipe – le gosier

The “gullet” or “windpipe” – le gosier

Le gosier in French refers to the throat, specifically the internal passage for food and drink, similar to the ‘gullet’ or ‘pharynx’ in English. It's a masculine noun.

While it has an anatomical meaning, le gosier is most frequently used in contexts related to thirst, drinking, or using one's voice. A very common expression is avoir le gosier sec, which means 'to have a dry throat'.

The term is central to the popular idiom se rincer le gosier, which literally translates to 'to rinse one's gullet'. It's a colloquial and friendly way of saying 'to have a drink' or 'to wet one's whistle'.

💡 * J'ai le gosier sec, je voudrais un verre d'eau. (My throat is dry, I would like a glass of water.)

Le chanteur a un gosier exceptionnel. (The singer has an exceptional throat/voice.)

Allez, viens te rincer le gosier avec nous ! (Come on, come have a drink with us!)

Une soupe chaude descend bien dans le gosier en hiver. (A hot soup goes down the gullet nicely in winter.)

The bottleneck (and informal for 'throat') – le goulot

Let's explore the French word le goulot, a versatile noun with both a literal meaning and a very informal, slang application.

The primary and most common meaning of le goulot is the neck of a bottle—the narrow opening at the top. It's the direct equivalent of 'bottleneck' in this physical sense.

Similar to English, le goulot can be used figuratively to describe a point of congestion or a bottleneck, especially in traffic. This is often part of the expression un goulot d'étranglement (a bottleneck or chokepoint).

In very informal and colloquial French, le goulot is also a slang term for the throat. This usage is often associated with the act of drinking.

Using goulot for 'throat' is highly informal and should be reserved for relaxed situations with friends. A common expression is se rincer le goulot, which literally means 'to rinse one's throat' but is a casual way of saying 'to have a drink'.

In short, le goulot refers to the neck of a bottle but can also mean a figurative bottleneck or, in slang, the throat. Pay close attention to the context to understand which meaning is being used.

💡 * Il a bu directement au goulot de la bouteille d'eau. (He drank directly from the neck of the water bottle.)

Ce pont est un goulot d'étranglement pour la circulation. (This bridge is a bottleneck for traffic.)

Allez, viens te rincer le goulot avec nous ! (Come on, come have a drink with us!)

Le vin est resté coincé dans le goulot. (The wine got stuck in the bottleneck.)

The neck bones (anatomical) – les cervicales

When referring to the neck bones in a medical or anatomical context, the correct French term is les cervicales.

The term les cervicales specifically refers to the cervical vertebrae, the bones in your neck. The full term is les vertèbres cervicales, but it's almost always shortened. Note that the word is feminine plural.

You'll most commonly hear this term when someone is talking about neck pain or injury. The most frequent phrase is 'J'ai mal aux cervicales,' which is the standard way to say 'My neck hurts' when referring to bone or joint pain, as opposed to a sore throat.

It's crucial to distinguish les cervicales from le cou. Le cou is the general word for 'neck' as a whole body part. You wear a scarf around le cou, not les cervicales. Les cervicales refers strictly to the bones inside.

💡 * J'ai pris rendez-vous chez l'ostéopathe car j'ai mal aux cervicales.

Le médecin a diagnostiqué une entorse cervicale après l'accident.

Il faut faire des exercices pour muscler les cervicales.

La colonne vertébrale commence avec les sept vertèbres cervicales.

The collar (of a shirt) – le col

The French word for the collar of a piece of clothing (like a shirt, coat, or dress) is le col. It is a masculine noun, so you will always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, for example, un col or le col.

You can use le col to describe different styles. For instance, a V-neck is un col en V, a turtleneck is un col roulé, and a shirt collar is un col de chemise.

There is a common French expression using this word: se pousser du col. This idiom literally means 'to push one's collar' but is used to say someone is showing off, being arrogant, or putting on airs.

💡 * J'ai taché le col de ma chemise blanche. (I stained the collar of my white shirt.)

Ce pull à col roulé te va très bien. (That turtleneck sweater looks great on you.)

Depuis qu'il a eu sa promotion, il se pousse un peu du col. (Since he got his promotion, he's been showing off a bit.)

Elle portait une robe avec un joli col en dentelle. (She was wearing a dress with a pretty lace collar.)

The neckline (of a garment) – l'encolure

The specific French term for the neckline of a piece of clothing is l'encolure. It is a feminine noun.

This word is most commonly used in the context of fashion, sewing, and shopping. It refers to the edge of a garment at or below the neck, shaped to fit around the neck and shoulders.

The word is built around 'col', the French word for 'neck' or 'collar'. This connection makes it easier to remember its specific meaning related to clothing.

To describe different types of necklines, you simply add an adjective or phrase after l'encolure. Common examples include une encolure en V (a V-neck), une encolure ronde (a round neck), and une encolure bateau (a boat neck).

💡 * J'aime beaucoup l'encolure de cette robe. (I really like the neckline of this dress.)

Elle cherche un pull avec une encolure ronde. (She is looking for a sweater with a round neckline.)

L'encolure en V met en valeur son collier. (The V-neck highlights her necklace.)

Cette blouse a une encolure trop large pour moi. (This blouse has a neckline that is too wide for me.)

1. The 'Stiff Neck' – Le Torticolis

The primary French term for a 'stiff neck' is le torticolis. This noun specifically refers to the painful condition, often called 'wryneck' in English, where your neck muscles have seized up, typically from sleeping in an awkward position, making it difficult to turn your head.

To say that you have a stiff neck, you use the verb avoir (to have). The most common and natural phrase is avoir un torticolis. For instance, you would say, J'ai un torticolis to mean 'I have a stiff neck.'

It's important to distinguish le torticolis from general neck pain. While you can always say J'ai mal au cou for 'I have a sore neck' or 'My neck hurts,' le torticolis implies that specific, sharp pain and limited movement from a muscle spasm that you get overnight.

💡 * Je me suis réveillé avec un torticolis ce matin.

Fais attention, tu vas attraper un torticolis si tu dors sur ce canapé.

Il ne peut pas tourner la tête à cause de son torticolis.

Mon médecin m'a donné une crème pour soulager mon torticolis.

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

Our guide has walked you through the most common ways to say 'neck' in French, from the general-purpose le cou to the more specific la nuque. But the French language is also rich with anatomical terms, regional variations, and even slang that you might encounter.

You can uncover more specialized vocabulary by doing an online search for parties du cou en français (parts of the neck in French) or by looking into contexts like medicine or even poetry.

Context is crucial when talking about anatomy. Using the wrong term can be confusing, so before you use a new synonym for cou, be sure to check its precise meaning and see it used in a sentence.

Pay close attention as you listen to native French speakers or watch French media. You'll start to notice how these different words for 'neck' are used in idiomatic expressions and everyday conversation.

For a deeper dive into related vocabulary and common phrases, exploring a French dictionary or the WordReference entry for cou is a fantastic way to expand your knowledge.

I hope this article has been helpful. Let's end with a fitting French expression that encourages continuous learning: Tordre le cou aux idées reçues, which literally means 'to wring the neck of preconceived notions.' It’s a perfect reminder to always stay curious and challenge what you think you know. Bonne continuation !

'9 ways to say "neck" in French'