camion à benne basculante
masculine
In French, the English phrase dump truck is translated as camion à benne basculante. If unsure, use camion à benne basculante. Wiktionary also lists camion-tombereau and tombereau.
Meaning: heavy truck for carrying loose, bulk cargo (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| camion à benne basculante | masculine | |
| camion-tombereau | masculine | |
| tombereau | /tɔ̃.bʁo/ | masculine |
| camion benne | /ka.mjɔ̃ bɛn/ | masculine |
The term refers to a heavy truck used for carrying loose, bulk cargo.
What does it mean word for word?
The part benne basculante literally means 'tipping skip' or 'tilting body', which describes the mechanism of the truck.
Which one should you use?
While camion à benne basculante is a descriptive term for the vehicle type, tombereau is a more concise noun often used in industrial or construction contexts to refer specifically to the dumper itself.
Did you know?
- The word benne used in camion benne comes from a Gaulish word bennā. The Gauls were the Celtic people who lived in what is now France before the Roman conquest.
- In French, tombereau can also refer to a large wooden cart used in vineyards to transport grapes, not just heavy industrial machinery.
- The term basculante comes from the verb basculer, which is used for anything that tips over or pivots, such as a seesaw or a tipping point in an argument.
Examples in context
- Sarah a conduit son camion-benne sur le chantier aujourd'hui.Sarah drove her dump truck to the construction site today.
- J'ai commandé un camion à benne basculante pour transporter le gravier.I ordered a dump truck with a tilting bed to transport gravel.
- Le camion à benne basculante est plein de sable.The dump truck is full of sand.
- Il conduit un camion à benne basculante sur le chantier.He is driving a dump truck on the construction site.
- Nous avons besoin d'un camion à benne basculante pour les graviers.We need a dump truck for the gravel.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are looking at a construction site.
- LucasRegarde ce camion à benne basculante !Look at that dump truck!
- LéaIl transporte beaucoup de sable, Lucas.It is carrying a lot of sand, Lucas.
- LucasIl va décharger tout ça ici.It is going to unload all that here.
- LéaOui, Léa voit qu'il commence déjà.Yes, Léa sees that it's already starting.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dump truck” translations and entries tombereau, camion benne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries benne, camion, tombereau, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
