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How to Say ‘Where does it hurt, exactly?’ in French

Vous avez mal où, exactement ?

voo ah-VAY mal OO eg-zakt-mahn

[voo ah-VAY mal OO eg-zakt-mahn]

💬 Usage Tip: In spoken French the question word où "where" can simply go at the end, just like a statement with rising voice. You'll hear doctors ask questions this way all the time.

Phrase Breakdown

Vous avez mal où,

voo ah-VAY mal OO

Where does it hurt,

In casual speech, the question word 'où' can go at the end. Say 'voo-za-vay mal oo'.

Example

Tu vas où ?

Where are you going?

Words in this phrase

Vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

avez

[ah-VAY]

have

Auxiliary 'avoir' (vous form) used to build the past tense.

Example

Vous avez mangé ?

Have you eaten?

mal

[mal]

pain / ache

Noun meaning pain; 'avoir mal à' means to have pain in a body part.

Example

J'ai mal au dos.

My back hurts.

où

[OO]

where

Question word asking about place or location.

Example

Où habites-tu ?

Where do you live?

exactement ?

eg-zakt-mahn

exactly?

Say it 'eg-zak-tuh-mahn' and let your voice rise at the end for the question.

Example

C'est exactement ça.

That's exactly it.

Words in this phrase

exactement

[eg-zakt-mahn]

exactly

Used to show strong agreement or precision.

Example

C'est exactement la réponse qu'on peut donner au sujet d'une culture idéale.

"That's exactly" the answer one can give about an ideal culture.

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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