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How to Say ‘It hurts’ in French

Ça fait mal

sah feh mal

[sah feh mal]

💬 Usage Tip: J'ai mal says that you hurt. Ça fait mal points to something that causes the pain, like an action or a spot the doctor presses.

Phrase Breakdown

Ça

[sah]

that / it

Demonstrative pronoun used in everyday French to mean 'that' or 'it.'

Example

Ça me plaît quand une entreprise parle clairement.

I like it when a company speaks clearly.

fait

[feh]

makes

To create or construct by combining or shaping resources.

Example

Elle fait du café.

She makes coffee.

mal

[mal]

pain / hurt

Noun for pain; 'faire mal' means to hurt.

Example

Mon genou me fait mal.

My knee hurts.

Guides for French learners

The Most Common French Verbs: the 20 You'll Actually UseThe 20 most common French verbs, with the present-tense forms you need, real example sentences with native audio, and two shortcuts for past and future.Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.

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