Parts of the body

Body parts in Italian

In Italian, body parts are always used with the definite article (not the possessive adjective as in English).

Key rule: Instead of "my head," Italian says "the head to me" — la testa mi fa male.

Body parts with articles:

• la testa → the head
• il braccio (pl. le braccia) → the arm
• la gamba (pl. le gambe) → the leg
• il piede (pl. i piedi) → the foot
• la mano (pl. le mani) → the hand
• la schiena → the back
• lo stomaco → the stomach
• il dente (pl. i denti) → the tooth
• l'occhio (pl. gli occhi) → the eye
• l'orecchio (pl. le orecchie) → the ear

Note: Some body parts have irregular plurals — braccio → braccia (neuter), mano → mani (feminine despite -o ending).

Mi fa male / Mi fanno male

This structure expresses pain. The verb agrees with the body part, not with the person:

• Mi fa male + sing. : one body part hurts — Mi fa male la testa. (My head hurts.)
• Mi fanno male + plur. : multiple parts hurt — Mi fanno male i piedi. (My feet hurt.)

More examples:

• Mi fa male il braccio. → My arm hurts.
• Mi fa male la schiena. → My back hurts.
• Mi fanno male le gambe. → My legs hurt.
• Mi fanno male i denti. → My teeth hurt.

For other people, change the pronoun:

• Ti fa male la testa? → Does your head hurt?
• Gli fa male lo stomaco. → His stomach hurts.
• Le fanno male le gambe. → Her legs hurt.

💬 Esempio: "Mi fa male lo stomaco." → "My stomach hurts."

💬 Esempio: "Mi fanno male le gambe dopo la passeggiata." → "My legs hurt after the walk."

💬 Esempio: "Ti fa male il braccio?" → "Does your arm hurt?"