French vocabulary to talk about the worlds of arts and music, from styles and genres to instruments and important terms.
Common Art Terms
These are basic words you’ll need to discuss visual arts in French.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l’art | art |
| un artiste | an artist |
| une peinture | a painting |
| un tableau | a painting / picture |
| une sculpture | a sculpture |
| un dessin | a drawing |
| un musée | a museum |
| une galerie | a gallery |
| une exposition | an exhibition |
| une œuvre d’art | a work of art |
Art Styles and Movements
These terms help you name different art styles and historical movements.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le classicisme | classicism |
| le romantisme | romanticism |
| l’impressionnisme | impressionism |
| le cubisme | cubism |
| le surréalisme | surrealism |
| l’art moderne | modern art |
| l’art contemporain | contemporary art |
| le réalisme | realism |
| le baroque | baroque |
| le pop art | pop art |
Translate the sentence: 'Impressionism is an important art movement.' into French, filling in the blank.
L’impressionnisme est un mouvement artistique important.
'Impressionism' translates to 'L’impressionnisme' and 'art movement' to 'mouvement artistique'. The sentence highlights its importance.
Musical Instruments
This list covers common instruments in French, useful for describing performances or talking about learning music.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un piano | a piano |
| une guitare | a guitar |
| un violon | a violin |
| une batterie | drums |
| une flûte | a flute |
| un saxophone | a saxophone |
| une trompette | a trumpet |
| une clarinette | a clarinet |
| un clavier | a keyboard |
| un violoncelle | a cello |
Translate the sentence: 'The saxophone is a wind instrument.' into French, filling in the blank.
Le saxophone est un instrument à vent.
'Saxophone' remains 'le saxophone' in French. 'Wind instrument' translates to 'instrument à vent.'
Music Genres
Use these words to describe different styles of music in French.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la musique classique | classical music |
| le jazz | jazz |
| le rock | rock |
| la pop | pop |
| le rap | rap |
| l’électro | electronic music |
| le blues | blues |
| la musique folk | folk music |
| la musique traditionnelle | traditional music |
| la musique du monde | world music |
Useful Verbs and Expressions
These verbs and phrases will help you talk about creating, enjoying, and discussing art and music.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| créer | to create |
| dessiner | to draw |
| peindre | to paint |
| sculpter | to sculpt |
| jouer (d’un instrument) | to play (an instrument) |
| écouter de la musique | to listen to music |
| composer | to compose |
| chanter | to sing |
| exposer | to exhibit |
| admirer | to admire |
With this vocabulary, you can start to talk about art and music in French with more confidence!
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English: art
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
