French Clothes Vocabulary — Words for What You Wear
Whether you're browsing a Paris boutique or just describing what you wore today, clothing vocabulary is some of the most useful French you can carry. This page covers the words for everyday garments and accessories — la chemise (shirt), le pantalon (trousers), les chaussures (shoes), la robe (dress) — each with its English meaning and audio so you can hear it. Two things to watch as an English speaker. First, gender: most garments are either le or la, and the article travels with the noun, so it's worth learning le manteau rather than just manteau. Second, French loves the silent final letter — the s on plurals like les vêtements isn't pronounced, and words often run together when spoken, so the sound surprises learners who only read. That's what the 🔊 buttons are for: press one and a native voice models it. Skim the table to see the shape of it, then let the game below turn these from a list you read into words you actually keep.
Key words explained
- shirt chemise He ironed his white shirt before the interview.
- t-shirt t-shirt She wore a plain cotton t-shirt and sneakers.
- pants pantalon These pants are too long, so I will have them hemmed.
- jeans jean My favourite jeans finally wore through at the knee.
- dress robe She chose a blue dress for the wedding.
- skirt jupe The skirt twirled as she spun on the dance floor.
- jacket veste Take a jacket; it gets chilly in the evening.
- coat manteau He hung his heavy winter coat by the door.
All 90 French clothes words
| English | Pronunciation | French | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| shirt | /ʃɜːrt/ | chemise | |
| t-shirt | /ˈtiːʃɜːrt/ | t-shirt | |
| pants | /pænts/ | pantalon | |
| jeans | /dʒiːnz/ | jean | |
| dress | /drɛs/ | robe | |
| skirt | /skɜːrt/ | jupe | |
| jacket | /ˈdʒækɪt/ | veste | |
| coat | /koʊt/ | manteau | |
| sweater | /ˈswɛtər/ | pull | |
| hoodie | /ˈhʊdi/ | sweat à capuche | |
| suit | /suːt/ | costume | |
| tie | /taɪ/ | cravate | |
| shorts | /ʃɔːrts/ | short | |
| underwear | /ˈʌndərwɛr/ | sous-vêtements | |
| socks | /sɑːks/ | chaussettes | |
| shoes | /ʃuːz/ | chaussures | |
| boots | /buːts/ | bottes | |
| sandals | /ˈsændəlz/ | sandales | |
| sneakers | /ˈsniːkərz/ | baskets | |
| hat | /hæt/ | chapeau | |
| cap | /kæp/ | casquette | |
| scarf | /skɑːrf/ | écharpe | |
| gloves | /ɡlʌvz/ | gants | |
| belt | /bɛlt/ | ceinture | |
| swimsuit | /ˈswɪmsuːt/ | maillot de bain | |
| pajamas | /pəˈdʒɑːməz/ | pyjama | |
| uniform | /ˈjuːnɪfɔːrm/ | uniforme | |
| raincoat | /ˈreɪnkoʊt/ | imperméable | |
| /ˈpɑːkɪt/ | poche | ||
| button | /ˈbʌtən/ | bouton | |
| shop | /ʃɑːp/ | boutique | |
| mall | /mɔːl/ | centre commercial | |
| price | /praɪs/ | prix | |
| discount | /ˈdɪskaʊnt/ | réduction | |
| sale | /seɪl/ | soldes | |
| cheap | /tʃiːp/ | bon marché | |
| expensive | /ɪkˈspɛnsɪv/ | cher | |
| size | /saɪz/ | taille | |
| brand | /brænd/ | marque | |
| fashion | /ˈfæʃən/ | mode | |
| style | /staɪl/ | style | |
| fitting room | /ˈfɪtɪŋ ruːm/ | cabine d'essayage | |
| cashier | /kæˈʃɪr/ | caissier | |
| cart | /kɑːrt/ | chariot | |
| queue | /kjuː/ | file d'attente | |
| refund | /ˈriːfʌnd/ | remboursement | |
| exchange | /ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ/ | échange | |
| credit card | /ˈkrɛdɪt kɑːrd/ | carte de crédit | |
| receipt | /rɪˈsiːt/ | reçu | |
| order | /ˈɔːrdər/ | commande | |
| delivery | /dɪˈlɪvəri/ | livraison | |
| online shopping | /ˈɑːnlaɪn ˈʃɑːpɪŋ/ | shopping en ligne | |
| fabric | /ˈfæbrɪk/ | tissu | |
| cotton | /ˈkɑːtən/ | coton | |
| wool | /wʊl/ | laine | |
| leather | /ˈlɛðər/ | cuir | |
| zip | /zɪp/ | fermeture éclair | |
| collar | /ˈkɑːlər/ | col | |
| sleeve | /sliːv/ | manche | |
| second-hand | /ˌsɛkənd ˈhænd/ | occasion | |
| material | /məˈtɪriəl/ | matière | |
| silk | /sɪlk/ | soie | |
| denim | /ˈdɛnɪm/ | denim | |
| linen | /ˈlɪnɪn/ | lin | |
| synthetic | /sɪnˈθɛtɪk/ | synthétique | |
| stripe | /straɪp/ | rayure | |
| formal | /ˈfɔːrməl/ | formel | |
| casual | /ˈkæʒuəl/ | décontracté | |
| hood | /hʊd/ | capuche | |
| lace | /leɪs/ | dentelle | |
| hem | /hɛm/ | ourlet | |
| blouse | /blaʊs/ | chemisier | |
| cardigan | /ˈkɑːrdɪɡən/ | cardigan | |
| vest | /vɛst/ | gilet | |
| leggings | /ˈlɛɡɪŋz/ | leggings | |
| blazer | /ˈbleɪzər/ | blazer | |
| tracksuit | /ˈtræksʊt/ | survêtement | |
| heel | /hiːl/ | talon | |
| sole | /soʊl/ | semelle | |
| accessory | /əkˈsɛsəri/ | accessoire | |
| jewellery | /ˈdʒuːəlri/ | bijoux | |
| sunglasses | /ˈsʌnɡlæsɪz/ | lunettes de soleil | |
| handbag | /ˈhændbæɡ/ | sac à main | |
| tights | /taɪts/ | collants | |
| apron | /ˈeɪprən/ | tablier | |
| robe | /roʊb/ | robe de chambre | |
| poncho | /ˈpɑːntʃoʊ/ | poncho | |
| loafers | /ˈloʊfərz/ | mocassins | |
| flip-flops | /ˈflɪpflɑːps/ | tongs | |
| tailored | /ˈteɪlərd/ | sur mesure |
Tired of memorizing word lists? Reading a table won't make these stick. Speakka turns vocabulary into a falling-words game — catch the word before it lands and the meaning sticks because you played it. A new way to learn vocabulary that doesn't feel like studying.
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