Common clothes in French include le tee-shirt (T-shirt), la chemise (shirt), le pantalon (trousers), la jupe (skirt), le pull (jumper), la veste (jacket), les chaussures (shoes) and les chaussettes (socks). “To wear” is porter: Je porte un pull bleu. Note that le pantalon is singular for one pair.
Clothes vocabulary in French
In the pronunciation column, capitals mark the syllable to lean on slightly (French stress is light and falls on the last syllable). (n) marks a nasal vowel: air goes through the nose and the n itself is not pronounced. “zh” is the s in “measure”, “uh” is the short vowel in “the”, and “ü” is “ee” said with rounded lips.
Everyday clothes
| French | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| les vêtements (m.) | clothes | vet-MAH(N) |
| le tee-shirt | T-shirt | tee-SHURT |
| la chemise | shirt | shuh-MEEZ |
| le chemisier | blouse | shuh-mee-ZYAY |
| le pull | jumper | pül |
| le gilet | cardigan | zhee-LEH |
| le sweat (à capuche) | sweatshirt (hoodie) | sweet (a ka-PÜSH) |
| le pantalon | trousers | pah(n)-ta-LO(N) |
| le jean | jeans | djeen |
| le short | shorts | short |
| la jupe | skirt | zhüp |
| la robe | dress | rob |
| la veste | jacket, blazer | vest |
| le manteau | coat | mah(n)-TOH |
| le survêtement | tracksuit | sür-vet-MAH(N) |
| l’uniforme scolaire (m.) | school uniform | lü-nee-form sko-LAIR |
| la cravate | tie | kra-VAT |
| le pyjama | pyjamas | pee-zha-MA |
| le maillot de bain | swimsuit, trunks | ma-yoh duh BA(N) |
Shoes and accessories
| French | English | Say it like |
|---|---|---|
| les chaussures (f.) | shoes | shoh-SÜR |
| les baskets (f.) | trainers | bass-KET |
| les bottes (f.) | boots | bot |
| les sandales (f.) | sandals | sah(n)-DAL |
| les chaussettes (f.) | socks | shoh-SET |
| la casquette | cap | kass-KET |
| le bonnet | woolly hat | bo-NEH |
| le chapeau | hat (with a brim) | sha-POH |
| l’écharpe (f.) | scarf | lay-SHARP |
| les gants (m.) | gloves | gah(n) |
| la ceinture | belt | sa(n)-TÜR |
| les lunettes (f.) | glasses | lü-NET |
Les chaussures and les chaussettes are the classic pair to confuse: shoes end in “-SÜR”, socks in “-SET”.
Plurals to watch
- -eau takes x: un chapeau, des chapeaux; un manteau, des manteaux.
- Singular in French, plural in English: un pantalon (trousers), un short (shorts), un jean (jeans), un pyjama (pyjamas). Des pantalons means several pairs.
- Plural in both: les lunettes (glasses).
Regional words
| Quebec | France | English |
|---|---|---|
| le chandail | le pull | jumper |
| le coton ouaté | le sweat | sweatshirt |
| la tuque | le bonnet | woolly hat |
| les bas (m.) | les chaussettes | socks |
| les espadrilles (f.) | les baskets | trainers |
| le costume de bain | le maillot de bain | swimsuit |
In Belgium, a tracksuit is un training. In France, les bas are stockings and les espadrilles are canvas shoes with rope soles, so the Quebec meanings can surprise.
Wearing, putting on, taking off
- To wear is porter. Je porte une chemise blanche. Qu’est-ce que tu portes aujourd’hui ?
- To put on is mettre, to take off is enlever. Je mets mon manteau. Enlève ta casquette, s’il te plaît. To get dressed is s’habiller; to try on is essayer.
- En describes an outfit. Il est en uniforme. Elle est en jean.
- Size is taille, shoe size is pointure. Quelle est votre taille ? Je fais du 38.
Colours, materials and patterns
Colours come after the noun and agree: une jupe verte, des chaussures noires, un pull blanc, une chemise blanche.
- Colours from nouns do not change: marron, orange: des chaussures marron, une veste orange.
- Compound colours do not change: une veste bleu marine (a navy blazer), des chaussettes bleu clair.
- Materials take en: un pull en laine, un tee-shirt en coton, des bottes en cuir.
- Patterns take à: à rayures (striped), à carreaux (checked), à pois (spotted).
Pour aller au collège, je porte un uniforme : une veste bleu marine, une chemise blanche et une cravate.For school I wear a uniform: a navy blazer, a white shirt and a tie.
Le week-end, je porte un jean et un sweat.At the weekend I wear jeans and a sweatshirt.
Ça te va bien !That suits you!
School uniform is a good cultural talking point: most French state schools have no uniform.
False friends
- un costume is a suit; a fancy-dress costume is un déguisement.
- une veste is a jacket; a vest is un maillot de corps or un débardeur.
- un slip is a pair of pants or briefs, not a petticoat.
- les baskets are trainers, not baskets.
- un sweat is a sweatshirt, pronounced “sweet”.
Idioms and expressions
| French | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| retourner sa veste | to turn your jacket inside out | to change sides |
| prendre une veste | to take a jacket | to be turned down, to fail |
| avoir plusieurs casquettes | to have several caps | to wear several hats |
| c’est bonnet blanc et blanc bonnet | it’s white bonnet and bonnet white | it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other |
| l’habit ne fait pas le moine | the habit doesn’t make the monk | don’t judge by appearances |
| être dans ses petits souliers | to be in your little shoes | to feel ill at ease |
Typical mistakes of English-speaking learners
- “Des pantalons” for one pair: it is un pantalon.
- Colour before the noun: “une rouge jupe” instead of une jupe rouge.
- Agreeing invariable colours: “des chaussures marrons” for des chaussures marron.
- Chaussures and chaussettes swapped.
- “Costume” for fancy dress: it is un déguisement.
- “Je mets” for “I wear”: mettre is to put on; porter is to wear.
- Pronouncing the silent ending: “bot-TES” for bottes, “gants” with a t.
In class: clothes as a word of the day
Clothes are the easiest theme to show: the class is full of real examples.
- Show the picture and the English word: “scarf”.
- Ask Comment dit-on “scarf” en français ? Pupils guess with a partner or on a mini whiteboard.
- Reveal l’écharpe with its pronunciation, and give its gender: une écharpe. The class repeats it together, then two pupils alone.
- Show the example sentence: En hiver, je porte une écharpe en laine.
- Give the reuse task: each pupil adds a colour and agrees it: une écharpe rouge, une écharpe grise.
- Recall yesterday’s word and one from last week.
That is exactly what a daily routine does: a word pupils can see, then reuse straight away.
Guessing games
Qui est-ce ?: a pupil describes what a classmate is wearing and the class guesses who: Il porte des baskets blanches et un sweat gris. Riddles: On la met sur la tête pour jouer au baseball. Qu’est-ce que c’est ? (la casquette). A dressing-up bag lets KS2 pupils act out mettre and enlever.
- A1The word with its article and a colour: un pull bleu
- A2Describe what you wear: Au collège, je porte…, le week-end, je porte…
- B1Past and shopping: Samedi, j’ai essayé un jean, mais il était trop grand.
- B2Opinions on uniform and fashion: Je ne pense pas que l’uniforme soit nécessaire.
At KS2, a picture and a dressing-up game are enough. At KS3, insist on agreement and the position of the colour. At GCSE, clothes return through shopping, school and identity.
The “Le mot” module does it for you
A picture and the word in the pupils’ language: the class works out how to say it, then the word is revealed with its pronunciation and an example sentence to reuse. No preparation needed: try everything free for 15 days of use.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say "clothes" in French?
Les vêtements, a masculine plural noun. One item of clothing is un vêtement.
What is the difference between porter and mettre?
Porter means to wear: Je porte un jean. Mettre means to put on: Je mets mon manteau. To take off is enlever.
Is pantalon singular or plural in French?
Singular: un pantalon is one pair of trousers. The same goes for un short, un jean and un pyjama.
Do colours agree with clothes in French?
Yes, most do: une jupe verte, des bottes noires. Marron, orange and compound colours such as bleu marine never change.
How do you say "trainers" in French?
Les baskets in France and Belgium, les espadrilles in Quebec.