tête

Etymology

Middle French and Old French teste, Latin testa (“pot, jug, brick”). Replaced French chef (from Latin caput) which is still used in some expressions.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tɛt/
• (Paris) IPA^(key): [tɛt]

  • audio (France, Paris)

    (file)

• (Belgium) IPA^(key): [tɛːt]

  • audio (Belgium, Brabant wallon)

    (file)

• (Quebec, formal) IPA^(key): [tɛɪ̯t]

  • Audio (Quebec, Montreal)

    (file)

• (Quebec, informal) IPA^(key): [taɪ̯t]

  • audio (Quebec, La Tuque)

    (file)

  • audio (Quebec, Laurentides)

    (file)

  • Audio (Quebec, Montreal)

    (file)

Noun

tête f (plural têtes)

1. head (part of the body)

   J'ai mal à la tête - I have a headache

2. head (leader)
3. (soccer) header
4. (colloquial) a bright spark, a quick study

   Ce type-là, c'est une tête.

Further reading

• “tête” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Alternative forms

• teet (Sark)

Etymology

From Old French teste, from Latin testa (“pot, jug, brick”).

Pronunciation

• (Jersey) IPA^(key): /teit/

• audio (Jersey)

  (file)

• (Saint Ouen) IPA^(key): /tɛːt/

Noun

tête f (plural têtes)

1. (Jersey, Guernsey, anatomy) head