156 French House Vocabulary Words

Wherever you may go, there really is no place like home!

That’s why it’s important to know how to describe each individual room in your house, right down to the furniture it has.

In this post, you’ll find 156 essential French words that you can use to talk about your home, plus some useful resources for practicing French house vocabulary!

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La Maison en Général (The House in General)

Before we begin our room-by-room breakdown, let’s look at words for la maison en général (the house in general).

French	English
la maison	house
chez	at/to the house (or place) of
la porte d’entrée	front door
la porte moustiquaire	screen door
la sonnette	doorbell
le portail	gate
le toit	roof
le grenier	attic (or granary)
le garage	garage
la pelouse	lawn
le jardin	garden (sometimes used as “backyard”)
en bas	downstairs
en haut	upstairs
au premier étage	on the second floor (American English); on the first floor (British English)
au rez-de-chaussée *	on the ground floor
un escalier	staircase / stairs
la copropriété	condominium
un appartement	apartment (American English); flat (British English)
le balcon	balcony
la terrasse	terrace
le cour	courtyard

* La chaussée itself is the road or pavement, and le rez  is the level. Therefore, this would be the floor of a building that is level with the street or sidewalk.

Now, we’ll lay out the blueprint for some of our favorite rooms in the house, along with common furnishings and household objects.

Le Salon (Living Room)

French	English
le meuble	piece of furniture
le canapé	sofa / couch
le bout de canapé	end table
la lampe	lamp
le coussin	throw pillow / cushion
la causeuse	loveseat
le fauteuil / le fauteuil de salon	armchair
le fauteuil relax	recliner
la table basse	coffee table
la télé / la télévision	television
le poste de télévision	TV set
la télécommande	remote control
la magnétoscope numérique / l’enregistreur numérique	DVR (digital video recorder)
le lecteur de DVD	DVD player
la console de jeux vidéo	gaming console
la chaîne stéréo	stereo system
le haut-parleur	stereo speaker

La Cuisine (Kitchen)

French	English
la vaisselle	dishes
le lave-vaisselle	dishwasher
le four à micro-ondes / le micro-ondes	microwave
le grille-pain	toaster
le mixeur	mixer
le four	oven
la cuisinière	stove
la cocotte	cooking pot
la casserole	saucepan
la poêle	frying pan
la batterie de cuisine	pots and pans (collectively)
la cafetière	coffee maker
l’évier	kitchen sink
le réfrigérateur	refrigerator
le frigo / le frigidaire	fridge
le garde-manger	pantry
le placard	kitchen cabinet / cupboard
le plan de travail	countertop

La Salle à Manger (Dining Room)

French	English
la chaise	chair
la table	table
la nappe de table	tablecloth
le napperon / le set de table	placemat
la serviette	napkin
l’assiette	plate
la tasse	cup
une demitasse	a half-cup
le verre	glass
le dessous de verre	coaster
le couteau	knife
la fourchette	fork
la cuiller / la cuillère	spoon
la cuillère-fourchette / la spork	spork
les couverts	flatware
la vitrine	hutch / dish cabinet
le bar	liquor cabinet
le casier à bouteilles	wine rack
la bouteille de vin	bottle of wine
le pichet d’eau / la carafe d’eau	pitcher of water

La Chambre (Bedroom)

French	English
le lit	bed
le matelas	mattress
le sommier	box spring
le drap	sheet
le drap-housse / le drap contour	fitted sheet
le drap plat	flat sheet
la couverture	blanket
l’édredon	quilt
la couette	comforter (American English); duvet (British English)
l’oreiller	pillow
la taie d’oreiller	pillowcase
la table de chevet *	nightstand
la lampe de chevet	bedside lamp
le réveil	alarm clock
la coiffeuse	dresser
la boîte à bijoux	jewelry box
la commode	chest of drawers
la garde-robe	wardrobe
la penderie	closet

*The term chevet means “bedside.” It can also be used in phrases like, Elle était restée au chevet de lui pendant qu’il était malade (She had stayed at his bedside when he was ill).

La Salle de Bains (Bathroom)

French	English
le lavabo	sink
le robinet	faucet
la toilette	toilet
le papier-toilette	toilet paper
la douche	shower
la baignoire *	bathtub
le miroir	mirror
le peigne	comb
la brosse à cheveux	hairbrush
la brosse à dents	toothbrush
le dentifrice	toothpaste
le fil dentaire	dental floss
l’eau dentifrice / le bain de bouche	mouthwash
le shampooing	shampoo
l’après-shampooing / la crème démêlante	conditioner
le sèche-cheveux	hair dryer
le rasoir	razor
la crème à raser	shaving cream

* Le bain  is the bath you take while in la baignoire. Se baigner means “to bathe oneself” or “to have a bath.” It can also mean “to go swimming.”

Le Bureau (Home Office)

French	English
le téléphone	telephone
le répondeur téléphonique	answering machine
la barre d’alimentation / la bande d’alimentation	power strip
la prise de courant	electrical outlet
le parasurtenseur / le limiteur de surtension	surge protector
la bibliothèque	bookshelf (also library)
l’écran	monitor
le fax / le télécopieur	fax machine
le clavier	keyboard
la souris	mouse
le tapis de souris	mousepad
l’ordinateur	computer
le classeur *	filing cabinet

* Le classeur à feuillets mobiles  is a ring binder, but le classeur by itself can be used to name the piece of furniture where you keep your dossiers  (files) organized. This word is related to the verb classer , which means to classify, organize or file.

La Blanchisserie (Laundry Room)

French	English
le lave-linge / la machine à laver	washer / washing machine
le détachant	stain remover
l’adoucissant	fabric softener
la lessive *	laundry detergent
l’eau de Javel	bleach
la sécheuse / le sèche-linge	dryer
la feuille assouplissante	dryer sheet
le cintre	clothes hanger
le panier à linge	clothes basket

* Faire la lessive means to do laundry. The laundry itself is le linge . Laver le linge means to wash dirty laundry. It’s also used in the expression laver la linge sale en famille , which means to not air one’s dirty laundry in public.

Le Sous-sol (Basement)

French	English
le fourneau	furnace
le chauffe-eau	water heater
le disjoncteur	circuit breaker
un atelier	workshop

Why Study French House Vocabulary?

Whether you’re a beginner French student or several years into your French-learning quest, these household words will come in handy. Here’s why:

Universal and practical

When you learn French house vocabulary, you empower yourself with words to describe your life.

Home is a concept that’s near and dear to people’s hearts. It’s part of la vie quotidienne  (everyday life).

Household life is a relatable topic. So, if you need to make small talk in French and you’re sick of talking about the weather, delve into your knowledge of house vocabulary to propel the conversation forward.

“At home” for beginners

French house vocabulary will help beginning learners feel more “at home” with the French language.

This fundamental vocab covers concrete concepts that you can immediately relate to. After all, what’s closer to home than talking about the rooms and objects in your own abode?

Home again for intermediate learners

If you’re an intermediate French learner, studying these words will give you a chance to review what may now be long-lost vocab.

You may have progressed into advanced grammar and moved far beyond bonjour  (hello), but unless you get daily French conversation practice, chances are good that a few of these words may have slipped your mind.

And, even in your native language, there will always be words you haven’t encountered yet. It can’t hurt to refresh your memory or learn new vocab.

6 Ways to Practice French House Vocabulary

As all language learners know, just skimming vocab lists is not enough to make new words stick in your long-term memory.

Here you’ll find a few of the best ways to help you learn, practice and retain this vocabulary.

1. Get inQUIZitive

Try out a few fun quizzes to test your vocabulaire de la maison  (house vocabulary) mettle.

Sporcle

Known for five or 10-minute quizzes on just about any topic, Sporcle has several French-language options.

• French Rooms of the House
• French Household Objects
• French: In the Bathroom

Quizlet

Quizlet offers multiple approaches to practicing and learning French house vocabulary. Try photo flashcards, multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions. Test your listening and spelling skills with audio and writing exercises. Try out these various French house vocab collections.

Quiz-Tree.com

This site offers a range of multiple-choice questions that’ll test your knowledge of French household words. The words are read aloud in French, and then you can choose from four possible answers.

2. APPly yourself

Here are a couple of apps for you to use to cement your knowledge of French house vocabulary.

Memrise (iOS / Android)

Watch your mastery of French house words grow with Memrise. Once you’ve learned the words, challenge yourself with the Speed Review.

Based on spaced repetition and a combination of multiple-choice questions, putting words in the correct order and typing out target words, Memrise shows your progress with each word or phrase. Progress is displayed as a newly planted seed, a seedling and a flower in full bloom.

• “Around the House” section in the “Introductory French Vocab” course
• “French Home, House Vocabulary” course

See our full review of Memrise here.

Language Lab by McGraw-Hill (iOS / Android)

The Language Lab by McGraw-Hill app gives you access to flashcards based on several different textbooks, such as “The Ultimate French Review and Practice” and “Practice Makes Perfect: French Vocabulary.”

The “French Vocabulary Drills” title has a section called À la maison  (House and home) where you’ll be able to practice some key French house vocabulary using flashcards.

3. Get the picture

Picture dictionaries are a great way to teach words for concrete concepts like French house vocabulary.

Embellished with photographs or simple drawings, you’re sure to find a dictionary that suits your style. Look for bilingual or French-only choices, depending on your learning level.

DK’s “First French Dictionary” has three chapters illustrating words used in la cuisine  (kitchen), ma chambre (my bedroom) and la salle de bain  (bathroom). The photos on each page are labeled with their names in French, along with English-language translations.

4. Watch cool videos

A great way to memorize vocab is to hear it used by native speakers in authentic contexts, which you can easily do by watching videos.

But where to find French videos? Pretty much anywhere you’d normally watch videos! If you use French search terms on YouTube, you can find all sorts of content from native speakers about any topic you can imagine, whether you’re interested in recipes or video games. This way, you’ll learn vocab about things that interest you!

If you’re looking for French videos combined with language learning support, you could try an immersive language learning program like FluentU. FluentU teaches you with authentic French videos, like movie trailers and music videos, showing you how native speakers use the language in context. While watching the videos you can use the interactive subtitles to discover extra information about the terms used, such as their meaning. You can also use the contextual video dictionary to search for French house vocabulary terms.

5. Use DIY sticky notes

One useful way to start memorizing French house vocabulary is to see it around you.

Get a pack of your favorite sticky notes and spend a little time labeling various items in your house. Or, if you’re not into DIY projects, there are plenty of pre-made French labels out there for purchase. Every time you look around, you’ll be reminded of your French household vocabulary.

6. Re-design your vocab

Intermediate and advanced French learners who enjoy home design can practice their French house vocabulary by reading about la décoration intérieure  (interior decorating) in French periodicals.

Try the DIY Déco section of Marie Claire or the Pièce par Pièce (Room by Room) section of Le Journal de la Maison (The House Journal) for starters.

 

Be it ever so humble, there’s nothing like French house vocabulary.

You can use it wherever you may roam, near or far from home.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)