tête

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/tɛt/

nounfeminineSing

head (the body part)

Mets un casque pour protéger ta tête.

Put on a helmet to protect your head.

Synonyms:crâne

nounfeminineSing

facial expression; look; the way someone's face shows their feelings

Arrête de faire cette tête, ce n'est qu'une blague.

Stop making that face, it's only a joke.

Synonyms:mine, visage, figure

nounfeminineSing

head; leader (person in charge of an organization or group)

Il est à la tête de l'association depuis trois ans.

He has been the head of the association for three years.

Synonyms:chef, dirigeant, responsable

nounfeminineSing

person (used in counts or prices: per head)

livestock (used to count livetsock (cattle,pig,sheep,etc.)

Le repas coûte 20 € par tête.

The meal costs €20 per person.

Synonyms:personne

nounfeminineSing

mind

intellect

state of mind (as in thinking, calmness, or reason)

bright spark, fountain of knowledge, brainy

Garde la tête froide pendant l'entretien.

Keep a cool head during the interview.

Synonyms:esprit, mental, intello

nounfeminine

top, head, tip (superior part of an object) (e.g. screw)

front (front part of something)

Il existe différentes têtes de vis.

There are different heads for screws.

Synonyms:en tête

Notes

GENERAL INFO

Tête is a feminine noun meaning "head." It refers to the top part of the body.

USAGE

You'll use it for the physical head ("J'ai mal à la tête" - I have a headache) and also figuratively for leadership or the top ("Il est en tête du classement" - He is at the top of the ranking).

TRAPS

Be aware of idiomatic expressions. There are a lot of them...

"Faire la tête" means to sulk, not "make the head."

"Perdre la tête" translates to losing one's mind, not just the physical head.

"Se prendre la tête" means get worked up, not "to talke one's head".