French · Body & Health

"Face" in French: visage

le visage

Say it: vee-ZAHZHmasculine · le visagenoun/vi.zaʒ/

Face in French is le visage, a masculine noun said vee-ZAHZH. Use mon visage or ton visage for my face or your face. La face exists but usually means a side or aspect, not the human face.

Looking in a mirror

Mon visage est tout rouge après la course.
My face is all red after the run.
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How to pronounce visage

Say it

vee-ZAHZH

/vi.zaʒ/

Visage is vee-ZAHZH. The s sounds like the s in "measure". Stress the second syllable. The final e is almost silent.

"Face" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le visagethe face

Default word for a person's face.

mon / ton / son visagemy / your / his-her face

Possessive before visage.

faire un visageto make a face

Pull a funny or annoyed expression.

à visage découvertopenly; barefaced

Without a mask, or figuratively without hiding.

How to use visage in real life

  1. 1Looking in a mirror

    Mon visage est tout rouge après la course.

    My face is all red after the run.

    Mon visage for a masculine speaker's face; ma is not used here.

  2. 2Describing a photo

    Sur la photo, ton visage est un peu flou.

    In the photo, your face is a bit blurry.

    Ton visage with someone you call tu.

  3. 3At a pharmacy

    J'ai une crème pour le visage sensible.

    I have a cream for sensitive face skin.

    Pour le visage is the usual product label phrasing.

Mistakes English speakers make with visage

Incorrect: Ma face est sale.

Correct: Mon visage est sale.

For a person's face, use visage. Face usually means a geometric side or a figurative aspect.

Incorrect: Le visage de elle est joli.

Correct: Son visage est joli.

Use the possessive son/sa/ses, or de + name, not de elle in everyday speech.

Good to know

French skincare and pharmacies talk constantly about le visage: crème visage, nettoyant visage. In conversation, visage is neutral; figure is more about someone's looks or celebrity presence.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Helping a friend with a selfie

  1. ChatPal

    Attends, ton visage est dans l'ombre.

    Wait, your face is in the shade.

  2. You

    Ah oui. Je tourne un peu le visage vers la fenêtre ?

    Oh right. Should I turn my face a bit toward the window?

  3. ChatPal

    Parfait. Là, on voit bien ton visage.

    Perfect. Now we can see your face clearly.

  4. You

    Super, j'envoie la photo.

    Great, I'm sending the photo.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Face" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Face" in French

Is face the same as visage?

Almost never for a person's face. Say le visage. La face is a side of something, or a figurative "aspect".

How do I say my face?

Mon visage, even if you are a woman: visage is masculine, so the possessive stays mon.

What about figure?

Figure can mean face in literary or formal style, but beginners should stick to visage.

How do you pronounce visage?

Vee-ZAHZH, with a soft zh sound like the s in measure.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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