French · Body & Health
"Eye" in French: œil
l'œil
Note: plural: les yeux
Eye in French is l'œil, masculine, said roughly loy. The plural is les yeux, a different form you must learn. Yeux is far more common in everyday speech.
Describing someone
Elle a un œil vert et un œil marron.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce œil
Say it
uhy / yuh
/œj/, /jø/
Œil is one syllable, like "uhy" or "loy" without a hard l English ending—closer to "øy". Yeux sounds like yuh. The œ ligature is the key spelling in the singular.
"Eye" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| l'œil | eye Singular; masculine. | Singular; masculine. |
| les yeux | eyes Plural form; learn it as irregular. | Plural form; learn it as irregular. |
| fermer les yeux | to close one's eyes Literal and figurative. | Literal and figurative. |
| sous les yeux | before one's eyes Something happening right in front of you. | Something happening right in front of you. |
How to use œil in real life
- 1Describing someone
Elle a un œil vert et un œil marron.
She has one green eye and one brown eye.
Singular œil with the œ character.
- 2At the optician
Cet œil voit moins bien de loin.
This eye sees less well at a distance.
Medical talk often uses the singular.
- 3Tired evening
Mon œil droit est très fatigué.
My right eye is very tired.
Keep the singular œil when you mean one eye.
Mistakes English speakers make with œil
Incorrect: Les œils sont bleus.
Correct: Les yeux sont bleus.
The plural of œil is yeux, not œils.
Incorrect: La œil gauche.
Correct: L'œil gauche.
Œil is masculine and takes l' before the vowel sound.
Good to know
French keeps the historic pair œil / yeux. You will also see coup d'œil (a glance) and œil de bœuf (a round window). Always write the singular with œ when you can.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Choosing glasses at an optician
ChatPal
Quel œil est le plus fatigué ?
Which eye is more tired?
You
L'œil gauche, surtout le soir.
The left eye, especially in the evening.
ChatPal
On vérifie chaque œil séparément.
We'll check each eye separately.
You
D'accord. Mes yeux piquent un peu.
Okay. My eyes sting a bit.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Eye" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Eye" in French
What is the plural of œil?
Les yeux. Memorize it; it does not look like the singular.
Is œil masculine?
Yes: un œil, l'œil droit.
How do you pronounce œil?
One compact vowel glide; many learners approximate "uy" or "loy" softly.
Do I need the œ character?
Yes in careful writing. Oeil is a fallback when the ligature is unavailable, but prefer œil.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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