French · Body & Health

"Wound (injury)" in French: blessure

la blessure

Say it: blah-SYURfeminine · la blessurenoun/blɛ.syʁ/

Note: also: la plaie

Wound in French is la blessure, feminine: j'ai une blessure au bras. Une plaie is often a more open cut. Au quotidien, blessure covers scrapes, cuts, and sports injuries.

After a fall

J'ai une petite blessure au genou.
I have a small wound on my knee.
Practice French out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce blessure

Say it

blah-SYUR

/blɛ.syʁ/

Blessure: blah-SYUR. Soft s in the middle; French r at the end.

"Wound (injury)" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
la blessurethe wound / injury

General injury noun.

une blessure légèrea light wound

Downplaying severity.

panser une blessureto dress a wound

First aid.

la plaiethe open wound / sore

More medical, open cut.

How to use blessure in real life

  1. 1After a fall

    J'ai une petite blessure au genou.

    I have a small wound on my knee.

    Une blessure for everyday injury.

  2. 2At the pharmacy

    Il me faut quelque chose pour la blessure.

    I need something for the wound.

    La blessure as the problem to treat.

  3. 3Sports talk

    Sa blessure l'empêche de jouer ce week-end.

    His injury keeps him from playing this weekend.

    Blessure for sports injuries too.

Mistakes English speakers make with blessure

Incorrect: J'ai un blessure.

Correct: J'ai une blessure.

Blessure is feminine: une blessure.

Incorrect: Ma wound fait mal.

Correct: Ma blessure fait mal.

Use blessure, not English wound.

Good to know

Pharmacies in France often help with small wounds: ask for un pansement or une crème. For deeper cuts, urgences or a médecin is safer than self-care.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Checking a scraped elbow

  1. ChatPal

    Tu saignes un peu c'est une blessure ?

    You're bleeding a bit — is it a wound?

  2. You

    Oui, une petite blessure, rien de grave.

    Yes, a small wound, nothing serious.

  3. ChatPal

    On lave la blessure et on met un pansement.

    We'll wash the wound and put on a bandage.

  4. You

    D'accord, merci de m'aider.

    Okay, thanks for helping me.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Wound (injury)" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Wound (injury)" in French

How do you say wound in French?

La blessure (feminine).

Blessure or plaie?

Blessure is the everyday injury word; plaie often means an open wound or sore.

How do you say I have a wound?

J'ai une blessure.

How do you pronounce blessure?

blah-SYUR.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in French. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.