poignée de porte
feminine
The English phrase "doorknob" can be translated into French as bouton de porte or poignée de porte.
Meaning: circular device attached to a door, the rotation of which permits the unlatching of a door (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| bouton de porte | masculine |
| poignée de porte | feminine |
What does it mean word for word?
The term bouton de porte uses bouton, which literally means "button" or "knob" and poignée de porte uses poignée, which literally means "handle".
Which one should you use?
Use bouton de porte specifically when the device is a round, knob-shaped handle. Use poignée de porte as a general term for any door handle, including lever-style handles.
How does it change in a sentence?
bouton de porte is a masculine noun, while poignée de porte is a feminine noun.
Did you know?
- The word bouton is also used in French to describe a pimple or a skin eruption, because of its round, protruding shape.
- In French, the word poignée is used not only for a door handle but also to describe a 'handful' of something, like a poignée de riz for a 'handful of rice'.
- The term poignée is derived from poing, meaning 'fist', combined with a suffix that denotes the contents of a hand.
Examples in context
- Le bouton de porte s'est cassé.The doorknob broke.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe a broken bouton de porte.Tatoeba #1526055 by sacredceltic, translation #1522353 by erikspen
- Elle tourna lentement la poignée de porte.She turned the doorknob slowly.This sentence shows the use of poignée de porte in a sentence about turning a handle.Tatoeba #1351627 by sacredceltic, translation #312386 by CK
- Il tourna la poignée de porte avec sa main gauche.He turned the doorknob with his left hand.This sentence illustrates how to use poignée de porte when describing the action of turning a handle with a hand.Tatoeba #7105365 by Micsmithel, translation #291904 by CK
- Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous me renseigner sur la poignée de porte utilisée dans cette pièce?Excuse me, could you provide information about the doorknob used in this room?
- Pouvez-vous me montrer la poignée de la porte de votre magasin, s'il vous plaît?Could you please show me the doorknob of your store?
- Tu as vu la poignée de la porte d'entrée? Elle est vraiment jolie!Have you seen the front door doorknob? It's really cute!
- 1 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are in their new apartment.
- GabrielRegarde la poignée de porte, elle est cassée.Look at the doorknob, it is broken.
- LéaC'est vrai, Gabriel, elle ne bouge pas.It's true, Gabriel, it doesn't move.
- GabrielJe vais appeler le propriétaire.I am going to call the landlord.
- LéaD'accord, je vais chercher les outils.Okay, I will go look for the tools.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “doorknob” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bouton, de, poignée, porte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
