carton ondulé
The English phrase "corrugated cardboard" is translated into French as carton ondulé.
carton ondulé refers specifically to the material itself.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of carton (cardboard) and ondulé (wavy or corrugated).
Which one should you use?
While carton ondulé refers specifically to the material, the word carton alone is often used colloquially to refer to a cardboard box.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because carton is a masculine noun, the partitive article used to mean 'some' is du (e.g., du carton ondulé).
Did you know?
- In French, you might hear the expression faire un carton, which means to achieve a huge success or a 'hit', often used for a new movie or a song.
- In a professional artistic context, a carton is not a box but a full-scale preparatory drawing used for creating tapestries or frescoes.
- The word carton is also used in sports to describe a red card shown by a referee to send a player off the field.
Examples in context
- Ce colis est en carton ondulé.This package is made of corrugated cardboard.
- Il faut du carton ondulé pour l'expédition.Corrugated cardboard is needed for the shipping.
- Le carton ondulé est très résistant.Corrugated cardboard is very strong.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are packing boxes for a move.
- ManonLucas, où est le carton ondulé ?Lucas, where is the corrugated cardboard?
- LucasC'est dans le garage, Manon.It is in the garage, Manon.
- ManonOn en a besoin pour les objets fragiles.We need it for the fragile objects.
- LucasJe vais aller le chercher tout de suite.I will go get it right away.
