This page lists common French equipment words across different categories, along with their English meanings and example sentences to show usage in context. Click on any word to hear its French pronunciation.
Sports Equipment
These are items used for playing various sports. Many of these words are masculine nouns, but there are some feminine nouns as well.
French | English | French Example | English Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
une raquette | a racket | J’utilise une raquette pour jouer au tennis. | I use a racket to play tennis.
un ballon | a ball | Le ballon est dans le jardin. | The ball is in the yard.
des gants | gloves | Il porte des gants de boxe. | He wears boxing gloves.
un casque | a helmet | Le joueur porte un casque de vélo. | The player wears a bike helmet.
une paire de chaussures | a pair of shoes | J’ai acheté une paire de chaussures de foot. | I bought a pair of soccer shoes.
un filet | a net | Le filet est au milieu du terrain. | The net is in the middle of the field.
un skate | a skateboard | Elle fait du skate dans le parc. | She skateboards in the park.
un bâton de ski | a ski pole | J’ai oublié mon bâton de ski à la maison. | I forgot my ski pole at home.
une planche de surf | a surfboard | La planche de surf est sur la plage. | The surfboard is on the beach.
des lunettes de natation | swimming goggles | Je mets mes lunettes de natation avant de plonger. | I put on my swimming goggles before diving.
Kitchen Equipment
These are common items used in the kitchen. Notice that many kitchen tools are feminine nouns.
French | English | French Example | English Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
un couteau | a knife | Coupe les légumes avec un couteau. | Cut the vegetables with a knife.
une fourchette | a fork | Je mange avec une fourchette. | I eat with a fork.
une cuillère | a spoon | Prends une cuillère de soupe. | Take a spoonful of soup.
une poêle | a frying pan | La poêle est sur le feu. | The frying pan is on the stove.
une casserole | a saucepan | Mets la sauce dans la casserole. | Put the sauce in the saucepan.
un mixeur | a blender | Je prépare un smoothie avec un mixeur. | I make a smoothie with a blender.
un fouet | a whisk | Le fouet sert à battre les œufs. | The whisk is used to beat eggs.
une planche à découper | a cutting board | Utilise la planche à découper pour les légumes. | Use the cutting board for the vegetables.
un lave-vaisselle | a dishwasher | Le lave-vaisselle est plein ce soir. | The dishwasher is full tonight.
un four | an oven | Le gâteau cuit dans le four. | The cake bakes in the oven.
Office Equipment
These are items commonly found in an office. Most of these nouns are masculine.
French | English | French Example | English Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
un ordinateur | a computer | Mon ordinateur est en panne. | My computer is broken.
une imprimante | a printer | L’imprimante est sans papier. | The printer is out of paper.
un clavier | a keyboard | Tape sur le clavier pour écrire. | Type on the keyboard to write.
une souris | a mouse | Utilise la souris pour déplacer le curseur. | Use the mouse to move the cursor.
un bureau | a desk | Mon bureau est près de la fenêtre. | My desk is near the window.
une chaise | a chair | Je m’assieds sur une chaise confortable. | I sit on a comfortable chair.
un cahier | a notebook | J’écris mes notes dans un cahier. | I write my notes in a notebook.
un stylo | a pen | Prête-moi un stylo, s’il te plaît. | Lend me a pen, please.
une règle | a ruler | La règle mesure trente centimètres. | The ruler measures thirty centimeters.
un classeur | a binder | Les documents sont rangés dans un classeur. | The documents are stored in a binder.
Musical Equipment
These are common musical instruments and related items. Most instrument names are masculine nouns.
French | English | French Example | English Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
une guitare | a guitar | Il joue de la guitare le soir. | He plays guitar in the evening.
un piano | a piano | Le piano est dans le salon. | The piano is in the living room.
une batterie | a drum set | La batterie fait beaucoup de bruit. | The drum set is very loud.
un violon | a violin | Elle apprend à jouer du violon. | She is learning to play the violin.
un microphone | a microphone | Le chanteur utilise un microphone. | The singer uses a microphone.
un casque audio | headphones | Je mets mon casque audio pour écouter de la musique. | I put on my headphones to listen to music.
un ampli | an amplifier | L’ampli est branché à la guitare. | The amplifier is connected to the guitar.
une flûte | a flute | La flûte est un instrument à vent. | The flute is a wind instrument.
un synthétiseur | a synthesizer | Le musicien joue sur le synthétiseur. | The musician plays the synthesizer.
une partition | sheet music | J’ai une nouvelle partition à apprendre. | I have new sheet music to learn.
He plays ___ in the evening.
Il joue de la guitare le soir.
The correct answer is 'Il joue de la guitare,' meaning 'He plays guitar.' Other instruments are also valid but don't match the example.
Photography Equipment
These are items used for taking photos. The word for “camera” is feminine in French.
French | English | French Example | English Example
--- | --- | --- | ---
un appareil photo | a camera | J’ai acheté un nouvel appareil photo. | I bought a new camera.
un trépied | a tripod | Le trépied stabilise l’appareil photo. | The tripod stabilizes the camera.
un objectif | a lens | Change l’objectif pour un zoom plus puissant. | Change the lens for a more powerful zoom.
une carte mémoire | a memory card | La carte mémoire est pleine. | The memory card is full.
une batterie | a battery | J’ai une batterie de rechange. | I have a spare battery.
un flash | a flash | Le flash éclaire la scène dans le noir. | The flash lights up the scene in the dark.
un filtre | a filter | Mets un filtre sur l’objectif. | Put a filter on the lens.
un sac photo | a camera bag | Je range mon appareil photo dans le sac photo. | I put my camera in the camera bag.
un câble USB | a USB cable | Transfère les photos avec un câble USB. | Transfer the photos with a USB cable.
un écran | a screen | L’écran affiche la photo prise. | The screen displays the photo taken.
How do I know if a French noun is masculine or feminine?
In French, nouns have grammatical gender that must be memorized, as there are no strict rules. For example, most nouns ending in -e are feminine (e.g., la raquette), while others are masculine (e.g., le ballon). It’s important to learn each noun along with its article (un for masculine, une for feminine).
Can I use these nouns in plural form?
Yes, to make a noun plural in French, you usually add -s (e.g., une raquette → des raquettes). The articles change accordingly (un → des, une → des). Remember that the pronunciation may not change, but the spelling does.
Are there any irregular plural forms?
Some nouns have irregular plurals, such as un cheval → des chevaux or un bijou → des bijoux. However, most equipment nouns follow the regular -s plural rule.
Do I need to use articles every time I mention equipment?
In French, articles are usually required before nouns, even when speaking generally. For example, you say J’ai un ballon (I have a ball) or Les raquettes sont là (The rackets are there). Omitting articles is rare and often changes the meaning.
Can I use “de” after equipment nouns?
Sometimes, especially when specifying a type or purpose, you use de + noun. For example, des gants de boxe (boxing gloves) or une paire de chaussures (a pair of shoes). This construction helps be more precise.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
