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How to Say ‘Pain’ in French

Mal

mal

[mal]

💬 Usage Tip: French often says [avoir mal] "to have pain" where English uses "to hurt." You can reuse it with body parts: [j'ai mal à la tête], [j'ai mal au dos].

Phrase Breakdown

Mal

[mal]

pain / badly

In medical phrases like avoir mal, it means pain or hurting rather than badly.

Example

J'ai mal au dos et Mal au ventre aussi.

I have back pain and stomach pain too.

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