voiture
/vwa.tyʁ/feminine
The French word for car is voiture. Wiktionary also lists auto and automobile.
Meaning: automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| voiture | /vwa.tyʁ/ | feminine |
| auto | /o.to/ /ɔ.to/ |
feminine |
| automobile | /o.tɔ.mɔ.bil/ /ɔ.tɔ.mɔ.bil/ |
feminine |
| char | /ʃaʁ/ /ʃɑʁ/ (Quebec) |
Canada, Louisiana, New England, masculine |
All forms refer to an automobile, a vehicle steered by a driver.
Which one should you use?
voiture is the most common, everyday word for car. auto is a shortened, more colloquial form of automobile. automobile is a more formal or technical term than voiture.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In Quebec French, Automobile is an acceptable formal way to say car.
Is it said differently in some regions?
char is a masculine noun used in Canada, Louisiana and New England. In French, RCA refers to the Central African Republic.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of the feminine noun voiture is voitures.
How do you pronounce it?
/vwa.tyʁ/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- In Quebec and Louisiana, the word char is used for car, whereas in France char usually refers to a parade float or a military tank.
- The word char was originally borrowed into Latin from Transalpine Gaulish, the language of the ancient Celts in France.
- The word voiture originally referred to any carriage or vehicle, regardless of whether it had an engine.
Examples in context
- C'est ta voiture ?Is that your car?This sentence is useful for asking ownership of a voiture.Tatoeba #1291239 by slegros, translation #597182 by darinmex
- Tu as une voiture.You have a car.This sentence is useful for stating that someone possesses a voiture.Tatoeba #4588380 by Amastan, translation #5152807 by CarpeLanam
- Sa voiture est là.His car is there.This sentence is useful for identifying the location of a voiture.Tatoeba #4591049 by Amastan, translation #9031939 by shekitten
- J'ai acheté une nouvelle voitureI bought a new car
- Les constructeurs automobiles ont annoncé de nouvelles mesures de sécuritéCar manufacturers have announced new safety measures
- Il est arrivé en bagnole à la cérémonieHe came to the ceremony by car
- On se retrouve devant le bar dans ma bagnoleLet's meet in front of the bar in my car
- 2566 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are deciding how to get to the city center.
- ManonOn prend ta voiture ?Shall we take your car?
- GabrielNon, ma voiture est en panne.No, my car is broken down.
- ManonOn peut louer une voiture alors.We can rent a car then.
- GabrielC'est une bonne idée, Manon.That is a good idea, Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “car” translations and entries voiture, auto, automobile, char, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries auto, automobile, char, voiture, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
