Italian Body Parts Vocabulary: 40 Essential Words With Example Sentences
Whether you need to tell a doctor where it hurts, describe someone's appearance, or simply build your Italian vocabulary, body parts are one of the most practical vocabulary sets to learn. They appear in medicine, idioms, descriptions, and everyday conversation. Italian has some wonderful quirks in this area: several body parts change gender in the plural, and Italians typically use the definite article rather than possessives when referring to their own bodies.
The Head and Face
| Italian | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| la testa | head | feminine |
| il viso / la faccia | face | masc. / fem. |
| gli occhi (sing. l'occhio) | eyes | masculine |
| il naso | nose | masculine |
| la bocca | mouth | feminine |
| le labbra (sing. il labbro) | lips | feminine (pl.) |
| i denti (sing. il dente) | teeth | masculine |
| la lingua | tongue | feminine |
| le orecchie (sing. l'orecchio) | ears | feminine (pl.) |
| i capelli (sing. il capello) | hair (head) | masculine |
| la fronte | forehead | feminine |
| il mento | chin | masculine |
| la guancia | cheek | feminine |
| il collo | neck | masculine |
The Body — Trunk and Limbs
| Italian | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| le spalle (sing. la spalla) | shoulders | feminine |
| il petto | chest | masculine |
| la schiena | back | feminine |
| il ventre / la pancia | abdomen / belly | masc. / fem. |
| il fianco | hip / side | masculine |
| il braccio (pl. le braccia) | arm | masculine (irr. pl.) |
| il gomito | elbow | masculine |
| il polso | wrist | masculine |
| la mano (pl. le mani) | hand | feminine (irr. pl.) |
| il dito (pl. le dita) | finger | masculine (irr. pl.) |
| la gamba | leg | feminine |
| il ginocchio (pl. le ginocchia) | knee | masculine (irr. pl.) |
| la caviglia | ankle | feminine |
| il piede | foot | masculine |
| le dita dei piedi | toes | feminine |
Internal and Other Body Parts
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| il cuore | heart |
| i polmoni | lungs |
| il fegato | liver |
| lo stomaco | stomach |
| il rene | kidney |
| la pelle | skin |
| l'osso (pl. le ossa) | bone |
| il muscolo | muscle |
| il sangue | blood |
| il cervello | brain |
| la gola | throat |
Several body parts have irregular plural forms in Italian, often changing gender in the plural: il braccio → le braccia, la mano → le mani, il dito → le dita, il ginocchio → le ginocchia, l'osso → le ossa. These are among the most common irregular plurals in Italian — worth memorising as set phrases.
Body Parts in Practical Sentences
Mi fa male la testa.
I have a headache. (My head hurts.)
Ho mal di schiena.
I have back pain.
Mi sono fatto male al ginocchio.
I hurt my knee.
Ha gli occhi azzurri e i capelli scuri.
She has blue eyes and dark hair.
Mi sono tagliato il dito.
I cut my finger.
Alza le braccia!
Raise your arms!
Ho la gola irritata.
I have a sore throat.
Dove ti fa male esattamente?
Where exactly does it hurt?
In Italian, body parts are used with the definite article (not possessives) when it's clear from context whose body is involved. Instead of 'mi lavo le mie mani', you say 'mi lavo le mani' (I wash my hands). The reflexive pronoun 'mi' already indicates it's your own body. This applies with reflexive verbs and direct object constructions involving body parts.
The most natural way to say something hurts: 'Mi fa male + il/la + body part' (Mi fa male il braccio — My arm hurts) or 'Ho mal di + body part without article' (Ho mal di testa — I have a headache, Ho mal di schiena — I have back pain). 'Fare male' is used for pain and 'avere mal di' for common ailments.
Italian body part idioms
Ce l'ha le mani in pasta dappertutto. — He has a hand in everything.
Quell'hotel costa un occhio della testa! — That hotel costs a fortune!
Avevo il cuore in gola quando ho preso l'esame. — My heart was in my mouth during the exam.
Quel ragazzo è molto in gamba. — That young man is very capable.
Ha preso a cuore il progetto. — He took the project to heart.
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