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French Arts Vocabulary — Words for Art, Music & Culture

France gave the world much of its vocabulary for art itself, so this is a topic where a little French goes a surprisingly long way. Here you'll find the words for the arts and culture — la peinture (painting), la musique (music), le théâtre (theatre), la danse (dance) — each shown with its English meaning and a button to hear it pronounced. A note for English speakers: many of these words look almost identical to their English cousins, which is both a gift and a trap. Théâtre and theatre are close on the page but not on the tongue — the French stress is flatter and the final -re is barely there. Gender still applies (la musique, le musée), so learn the article alongside the word. Because so many arts words are near-cognates, the fastest way to stop mixing up the English and French versions is to hear and use them, not stare at them. Tap any 🔊 to listen, skim the list to orient yourself, then head into the game below — that's where these words stop being familiar-looking and start being yours.

Key words explained

• drawing dessin🔊 Her pencil drawing captured the old man's face perfectly.
• sculpture sculpture🔊 A marble sculpture stood at the centre of the hall.
• exhibition exposition🔊 The museum opened a new exhibition of modern art.
• illustration illustration🔊 Each chapter begins with a delicate illustration.
• sketch esquisse🔊 He made a quick sketch of the harbour at sunrise.
• canvas toile🔊 The painter stretched a fresh canvas over the frame.
• colour couleur🔊 She mixed two paints to get the exact colour she wanted.
• line ligne🔊 A single bold line divides the whole drawing.

All 90 French arts words

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