Why does the plural 'our heads' translate as the singular 'la tête' ?

Stewart H.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Why does the plural 'our heads' translate as the singular 'la tête' ?

In the example below, taken from the lesson, could you please explain why la tête is in the singular when translating 'our heads' which is in the plural.

Nous nous grattons la tête ... We're scratching our heads

Thank you

Asked 5 years ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Stewart,

In French,  the expression is : ‘se gratter la tête’ , based on the fact that you only have one head...

It would just sound weird to put a plural there but you could say for instance ‘se gratter les jambes’ if you were scratching both of them...

Hope this helps!

Stewart H.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

Got it! Thanks

Why does the plural 'our heads' translate as the singular 'la tête' ?

In the example below, taken from the lesson, could you please explain why la tête is in the singular when translating 'our heads' which is in the plural.

Nous nous grattons la tête ... We're scratching our heads

Thank you

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