camping
/kɑ̃.piŋ/
The English phrase 'camping' is translated into French as camping. Wiktionary also lists campisme.
Meaning: recreational activity (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| camping | /kɑ̃.piŋ/ (France) /kam.piŋ/ (North America) |
|
| campisme | masculine |
Both camping and campisme refer to the recreational activity of camping. Note that when you want to express the action of 'going camping,' French speakers use the idiomatic verbal phrase faire du camping rather than a direct translation of the verb 'to go'.
Which one should you use?
campisme is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɑ̃.piŋ/
Did you know?
- While camping is borrowed from English, its use as a noun for a 'campsite' is a 'pseudo-anglicism', meaning it is a usage developed in France that is not typically used that way by English speakers.
- France is consistently one of the most popular camping destinations in the world. The country has a deeply rooted culture of 'municipal campsites' run by local town halls for the public.
- French speakers often distinguish between camping and bivouac. While camping implies a leisure trip with gear, a bivouac is a temporary, often unplanned or emergency overnight stay in the wild.
Examples in context
- Tom et moi aimons le camping.Both Tom and I like camping.This sentence is useful for expressing a personal preference for camping.Tatoeba #7306697 by manou85, translation #6221093 by CK
- Ils font du camping chaque été.They go camping every summer.This sentence is useful for describing the habit of performing the action of camping.Tatoeba #12442519 by lbdx, translation #307570 by CK
- Je n'ai pas de matériel de camping.I don't have any camping equipment.This sentence is useful for discussing the ownership of camping equipment.Tatoeba #5390943 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #5390514 by Hybrid
- Nous vous invitons à prendre part à notre événement de camping en plein air qui se déroulera du 15 au 18 juillet.We invite you to participate in our outdoor camping event, taking place from July 15th to 18th.
- Ça te dit de partir en camping ce week-end?Do you feel like going camping this weekend?
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are planning a summer vacation.
- ManonEst-ce que tu veux faire du camping cet été, Hugo ?Do you want to go camping this summer, Hugo?
- HugoOui, le camping me tente bien.Yes, camping sounds good to me.
- ManonParfait, je vais chercher des emplacements.Perfect, I will look for some sites.
- HugoC'est une excellente idée, Manon.That is an excellent idea, Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “camping” translations and entries camping, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries camping, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
