terre
/tɛʁ/feminine
In French, the English word "dirt" can be translated as terre or boue.
Meaning: soil or earth (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| terre | /tɛʁ/ (Europe) | feminine |
| boue | /bu/ | feminine |
The term terre refers to soil or earth. When used with a definite article as la terre, it can also mean the planet Earth. The adjective terreux is used to describe something that has the quality of or is covered in soil.
Which one should you use?
Use terre to refer to the substance of soil or earth itself. In contrast, use boue specifically when referring to wet, sticky dirt or mud.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word terre is a feminine noun. The word boue is also a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɛʁ/
Did you know?
- While terre is the standard word for soil, it is also used in the expression terre-à-terre to describe a person who is overly practical, mundane or lacking imagination.
- The word boue is actually a relic of the Gaulish language, meaning it has much older roots in the region than the Latin-based terre.
- The phrase mettre les pieds sur terre means to be realistic or to come back to earth after a period of idealism.
Examples in context
- Ne jetez pas des mottes de terre !Don't throw dirt clods!This sentence is useful for seeing how to express the idea of throwing dirt clods with terre.Tatoeba #11741921 by Anxxos, translation #6710433 by Eccles17
- Les gens continuent de labourer la terre.People continue plowing the dirt.This sentence shows how to use terre in the context of plowing.Tatoeba #7682233 by amazighsatlasblideen, translation #11612771 by tieguy
- Boris a roulé sur le chemin de terre pendant environ cinq minutes.Boris rode on the dirt path for about five minutes.This sentence demonstrates how to describe a path made of dirt using terre.Tatoeba #13344684 by genes1s, translation #11798015 by Amastan
- Je ne peux pas croire à quel point cette crasse est tenace!I can't believe how stubborn this dirt is!
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are planting flowers in the garden.
- LéaIl y a trop de terre sur tes mains.There is too much dirt on your hands.
- LucasC'est normal, je plante des fleurs.It's normal, I'm planting flowers.
- LéaRegarde, la terre est très sèche ici.Look, the dirt is very dry here.
- LucasJe vais ajouter un peu d'eau alors.I will add some water then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dirt” translations and entries terre, boue, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boue, terre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
