décharge
/de.ʃaʁʒ/
The French word for 'dump' is décharge.
décharge is used to refer to a place where waste or garbage is left, and it most closely translates to 'landfill' in English.
Meaning: a place where waste or garbage is left (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word comes from the verb décharger, which means to unload or discharge, making décharge an unloading or discharge place.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain parts of France, the word poubelle is commonly used to mean 'trash can' or 'bin'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun décharge is feminine, so you use the feminine article la or une.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /de.ʃaʁʒ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not confuse the noun décharge (a dump) with the verb décharger (to unload/discharge).
Did you know?
- While décharge is the site, French speakers use the word poubelle for the bin. This word is an eponym, named after Eugène Poubelle, the prefect of the Seine who mandated covered bins in Paris in 1883.
- While décharge refers to a physical dump, the same word is used in a legal sense to describe a 'release from liability' or a 'discharge' of debt.
- The verb décharger can also mean 'to vent' one's emotions, similar to how an English speaker might say they need to 'unload' their feelings.
Examples in context
- Cet endroit est une décharge.This place is a dump.This sentence is useful for identifying a location as a dump.Tatoeba #6637476 by Aiji, translation #5001431 by CK
- Dans le jargon de l'immobilier, un « rêve pour bricoleur » signifie généralement que l'endroit est une vraie décharge.A "renovator's dream" in real estate parlance generally means that the place is a real dump.This sentence shows how the term is used in real estate parlance to describe a place that is a real dump.Tatoeba #3545869 by sacredceltic, translation #3536471 by patgfisher
- Je vais jeter mes vieux vêtements à la poubelle.I am going to throw away my old clothes in the trash can.
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are standing in front of an old, messy backyard.
- HugoCet ancien jardin ressemble à une décharge.This old garden looks like a dump.
- LéaC'est vrai, il y a beaucoup de déchets partout.It's true, there is a lot of waste everywhere.
- HugoOn devrait l'aider à tout nettoyer.We should help him clean it all up.
- LéaOui, il aura besoin de nous.Yes, he will need us.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry décharge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
