How to Say ‘Pain’ in French
Mal
mal
[mal]
💬 Usage Tip: Mal often means 'badly' or 'pain.' In J'ai mal, it means 'I am in pain.'
🇫🇷 In France: French often expresses pain with avoir: literally 'to have pain,' not 'to be painful.'
Phrase Breakdown
Mal
[mal]
pain / badly
In medical phrases like avoir mal, it means pain or hurting rather than badly.
J'ai mal au dos et Mal au ventre aussi.
I have back pain and stomach pain too.
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