Classroom vocabulary in French covering essential words for students and teachers, including objects, actions, and phrases.
This guide introduces key French vocabulary used in the classroom, helping learners navigate everyday school situations with confidence. We cover common objects, people, actions, and useful expressions to support students in building their conversational skills.
French classrooms have many familiar objects that students use every day. Here are some of the most common items:
| French Singular / Plural | Determiner | English Singular / Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| le stylo / les stylos | le / les | pen / pens | J’écris avec un stylo. | I write with a pen. |
| le crayon / les crayons | le / les | pencil / pencils | Le crayon est sur la table. | The pencil is on the table. |
| la gomme / les gommes | la / les | eraser / erasers | J’ai besoin d’une gomme. | I need an eraser. |
| le cahier / les cahiers | le / les | notebook / notebooks | Mon cahier est rouge. | My notebook is red. |
| le livre / les livres | le / les | book / books | Je lis un livre intéressant. | I am reading an interesting book. |
| la règle / les règles | la / les | ruler / rulers | La règle est en plastique. | The ruler is plastic. |
| le sac / les sacs | le / les | bag / bags | J’ai un sac lourd. | I have a heavy bag. |
| la trousse / les trousses | la / les | pencil case / pencil cases | Ma trousse est bleue. | My pencil case is blue. |
| le tableau / les tableaux | le / les | board / boards | Le professeur écrit au tableau. | The teacher writes on the board. |
| la chaise / les chaises | la / les | chair / chairs | La chaise est confortable. | The chair is comfortable. |
Necesito una ___ (eraser).
What is the French word for 'eraser'?
gomme
'Gomme' means eraser. 'Stylo' is pen, 'crayon' is pencil, and 'règle' is ruler.
These are the people you’ll meet in a French classroom, from classmates to teachers:
| French Singular / Plural | Déterminant | English Singular / Plural | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| l’élève / les élèves | l’ / les | student / students | L’élève écoute attentivement. | The student listens carefully. |
| le professeur / les professeurs | le / les | teacher / teachers | Le professeur explique la leçon. | The teacher explains the lesson. |
| le camarade / les camarades | le / les | classmate / classmates | Mon camarade est gentil. | My classmate is kind. |
| le directeur / les directeurs | le / les | principal / principals | Le directeur est dans son bureau. | The principal is in his office. |
| l’assistant / les assistants | l’ / les | assistant / assistants | L’assistant aide les élèves. | The assistant helps the students. |
These are common actions that happen during a lesson, using simple French verbs:
| French Verb (Infinitive) | English Verb | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| écouter | to listen | Les élèves écoutent le professeur. | The students listen to the teacher. |
| écrire | to write | J’écris dans mon cahier. | I write in my notebook. |
| lire | to read | Nous lisons un texte. | We read a text. |
| répondre | to answer | Je réponds à la question. | I answer the question. |
| lever la main | to raise one’s hand | Lève la main si tu sais. | Raise your hand if you know. |
| parler | to speak | Ne parle pas en classe. | Don’t speak in class. |
| copier | to copy | Je copie les notes. | I copy the notes. |
| corriger | to correct | Le professeur corrige les devoirs. | The teacher corrects the homework. |
| répéter | to repeat | Répète après moi. | Repeat after me. |
| étudier | to study | J’étudie pour l’examen. | I study for the exam. |
Teachers often use these phrases to give directions or manage the class:
| French Phrase | English Translation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ouvrez vos livres. | Open your books. | Ouvrez vos livres à la page 10. | Open your books to page 10. |
| Fermez vos cahiers. | Close your notebooks. | Fermez vos cahiers, s’il vous plaît. | Close your notebooks, please. |
| Écoutez bien. | Listen carefully. | Écoutez bien la consigne. | Listen carefully to the instruction. |
| Répétez, s’il vous plaît. | Repeat, please. | Répétez, s’il vous plaît, la phrase. | Repeat the sentence, please. |
| Levez la main. | Raise your hand. | Levez la main pour répondre. | Raise your hand to answer. |
| Travaillez en groupe. | Work in groups. | Travaillez en groupe de trois. | Work in groups of three. |
| Rangez vos affaires. | Put away your things. | Rangez vos affaires, c’est l’heure de partir. | Put away your things, it’s time to leave. |
| Écrivez la date. | Write the date. | Écrivez la date en haut de la page. | Write the date at the top of the page. |
| Faites l’exercice 5. | Do exercise 5. | Faites l’exercice 5 à la page 12. | Do exercise 5 on page 12. |
| Silence, s’il vous plaît. | Silence, please. | Silence, s’il vous plaît, la leçon commence. | Silence, please, the lesson is starting. |
These handy phrases will help you communicate smoothly in French school settings:
| French Phrase | English Translation | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Je ne comprends pas. | I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas la question. | I don’t understand the question. |
| Puis-je aller aux toilettes ? | May I go to the bathroom? | Puis-je aller aux toilettes, s’il vous plaît ? | May I go to the bathroom, please? |
| J’ai oublié mon devoir. | I forgot my homework. | J’ai oublié mon devoir à la maison. | I forgot my homework at home. |
| Pouvez-vous répéter ? | Can you repeat? | Pouvez-vous répéter, s’il vous plaît ? | Can you repeat, please? |
| Quelle page ? | Which page? | Quelle page devons-nous ouvrir ? | Which page should we open? |
| Comment dit-on … en français ? | How do you say … in French? | Comment dit-on “pencil” en français ? | How do you say “pencil” in French? |
| Je suis prêt(e). | I’m ready. | Je suis prêt(e) pour la leçon. | I’m ready for the lesson. |
| Est-ce que c’est correct ? | Is this correct? | Est-ce que c’est correct, madame ? | Is this correct, madam? |
| J’ai une question. | I have a question. | J’ai une question sur l’exercice. | I have a question about the exercise. |
| Merci, au revoir ! | Thank you, goodbye! | Merci, au revoir ! À demain. | Thank you, goodbye! See you tomorrow. |
This vocabulary will give you a solid foundation for everyday classroom interactions in French. Good luck with your studies!
___ mon devoir. (I forgot my homework)
How do you say 'I forgot my homework' in French?
J’ai oublié
'J’ai oublié' means 'I forgot.' The others mean 'I am,' 'I take,' and 'I do.'
Flashcards (1 of 45)
- Determiner: le / les
- English Singular / Plural: pen / pens
- English Example: I write with a pen.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
