cahier
/ka.je/masculine
The English phrase 'notebook' translates to French as cahier. If unsure, use cahier. Wiktionary also lists calepin.
Meaning: empty book able to be used for notes (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cahier | /ka.je/ | masculine |
| calepin | /kal.pɛ̃/ | masculine |
A notebook is an empty book used for writing down notes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of cahier is formed by adding an 's', resulting in cahiers.
How do you pronounce it?
The word cahier is pronounced /ka.je/ and consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term cahier is used in French politics to describe a list of grievances, such as the Cahiers de doléances sent to King Louis XVI before the French Revolution.
- The word calepin is actually a person's name. It honors Ambrogio Calepino, a 16th-century scholar who wrote a famous Latin dictionary.
- In French school culture, a cahier often refers specifically to the exercise books mandated by teachers, whereas a carnet is usually a small personal pocketbook.
Examples in context
- Ceci est mon cahier.This is my notebook.This sentence is useful for identifying your own notebook using cahier.Tatoeba #1763165 by Amastan, translation #370564 by saeb
- Il sortit un cahier.He pulled out a notebook.This sentence is useful for describing the action of pulling out a notebook using cahier.Tatoeba #8457671 by Aiji, translation #3680304 by AlanF_US
- Ce cahier est jaune.This notebook is yellow.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a notebook using cahier.Tatoeba #10269729 by Aikotoba, translation #10267550 by LimeGreenTeknii
- Je prends mon cahier pour la réunionI'm taking my notebook for the meeting
- Il a toujours un carnet sur lui pour prendre des notesHe always carries a notebook to take notes
- J'écris mes idées dans un carnetI write my ideas in a notebook
- J'ai noté cette information dans mon agendaI noted this information in my notebook/agenda
- Je dois acheter un nouveau cahier pour mes cours de français.I need to buy a new notebook for my French classes.
- 38 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are in a classroom.
- ChloéNathan, tu as un cahier pour le cours ?Nathan, do you have a notebook for the class?
- NathanNon, j'ai oublié mon cahier à la maison.No, I forgot my notebook at home.
- ChloéNe t'inquiète pas, je peux te prêter un cahier.Don't worry, I can lend you a notebook.
- NathanMerci beaucoup, Chloé, tu es très gentille.Thank you very much, Chloé, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “notebook” translations and entries cahier, calepin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cahier, calepin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
