Reading time: 3 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner - Intermediate Level
Aargh, doing the chores, a tedious activity in general; though I do enjoy doing the dishes as it lets my mind wander freely. Surprisingly, this is one of the most requested topics by French learners, even though it’s not something I particularly love to talk about with my friends!
But of course, we still need to know some basic vocabulary, especially if one day you are invited to a French-speaking friend’s home. You can show that you’re a gracious guest by asking if they need help around the house by knowing how to say the chores in French. I’ve also shared some basic vocabulary related to gardening.
An extended version of this blog post (58 French words instead of 44) is available in PDF format if you sign-up to the newsletter. Click on the button right below.
If you have already signed-up to the newsletter, check the link you received before. The PDF is already uploaded there.
So here it is, the vocabulary list about chores in French!
| Les corvées | Household chores |
| Propre | Clean |
| Sale | Dirty |
| Faire le ménage | To clean up |
| Ranger les vêtements | To put away the clothes |
| Faire le lit | Make the bed |
| Nettoyer le lavabo | To clean the sink |
| Ranger les magazines | To put away the magazines |
| Passer l'aspirateur | To vacuum |
| dépoussiérer / épousseter | to dust |
| Nettoyer les vitres | To clean the windows |
| Laver la voiture | To wash the car |
| Vider la corbeille | To empty the wastepaper basket |
| Mettre la table | To set the table |
| Mettre le couvert | Set the silverware |
| Debarrasser la table | To clear the table |
| Couper le pain | To cut the bread |
| Laver les légumes | To wash the vegetables |
| Éplucher les carottes | To peel the carrots |
| Faire la vaisselle | To do the dishes |
| Essuyer les verres | To dry the glasses |
| Essuyer la table | To wipe the table |
| Vider les ordures | To empty the garbage |
| Sortir la poubelle | To take our the trash can |
| Laver le linge | Laundry |
| Repasser les chemises | To iron the shirts |
| Un fer à repasser | Iron |
| Le jardinage | Gardening |
| Arroser les plantes | To water the plants |
| Arroser les fleurs | To water the flowers |
| Un sécateur | pruner / secateurs |
| Couper l'herbe | To cut the grass |
| planter des fleurs | to plant flower |
| Tondre la pelouse | To mow the lawn |
| Une tondeuse | Lawn mower |
| Un tuyau d'arrosage | Hose |
| Tailler les arbustes | To prune the shrubs |
| M'aider à nettoyer le salon | Help me clean the living room |
| Me donner un coup de main | Give me a hand |
| Me rendre service | Do me a favor |
| S’occuper des animaux | To take care of the animals |
| Promener le chien | To walk the dog |
| Donner à manger au chat | To feed the cat |
| Vider l’aquarium | To empty the aquarium |
Let's practice! In comments below, try to compose a sentence about doing some chores in French. I'll check and correct your sentence if necessary!
Want more?
If you are hungry for more, do not hesitate to have a look for my course.
Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with a Talk in French Membership
Let me know which you find the most useful for you in the comments section.
Hi,
I love your learning tools. Thank you for your amazing work.
Quick question: Does the book “Improving French vocabulary” come with audio?
thank you,
ana
Hello Ana, not for the moment. I am planning to do that later this week. That’s the only ebook without MP3. +20 000 words to record is very long and tedious task. But I promise I will do it sooner or later.
Hi Fredric
Thank you for sharing these useful french learning tools. i am Egyptian pharmacist working in Humanitarian aid NGO and i start to learn french for the first time in my life as i want to work in projects in African countries. the hardest problem faces me is the pronunciation of french words. i am in first level in french course at French Cultural Center in Cairo. i want your advice regarding improving my french language. i also use Memrise and duolingo applications to help me in this.
thank you
Did you read the French Pronunciation guide? https://www.talkinfrench.com/french-pronunciation-guide/ It can be a good start.
Je fais la versaille et je fais le nettoyer. Je nettoye les porta et les fenêtre. Ma soeur nettoyes la terre. Je fais le menage.