This article reveals the peculiarity of the functioning of the somatic words being parts of the French argotic phraseological units which form the phraseological thematic group Person's character. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the image-bearing and symbol basis of the somatic words in the structure of the phraseological units under consideration. While studying the structural and semantic features of the units which are investigated special attention is given to the analysis of the substitution and intensification.

French argot, person's characterisation, phraseological unit, somatic word, person's character, substitution, intensification