poubelle
/pu.bɛl/
The French word for dustbin is poubelle.
poubelle refers to a container used for collecting waste and trash. This term is versatile and can be used for both small indoor waste bins and larger outdoor street bins.
How does it change in a sentence?
poubelle is a feminine noun. To form the plural, add an s to get poubelles.
How do you pronounce it?
/pu.bɛl/
Did you know?
- The word poubelle is actually a person's name. It comes from Eugène Poubelle, a high-ranking official in Paris who mandated the use of trash cans in the 1880s.
- The term poubelle is used in French slang to describe a very old, unreliable car that is barely functional.
- In French, calling something a poubelle can be a harsh insult. If you say an idea or a piece of work is 'une poubelle', you are literally calling it 'trash' or 'rubbish'.
Examples in context
- Où est votre poubelle ?Where is your dustbin?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a poubelle.Tatoeba #3628025 by fleur74, translation #12442584 by sundown
- La poubelle est pleine.The dustbin is full.This sentence is useful for describing the state of a poubelle.Tatoeba #8313184 by Julien_PDC, translation #8950668 by sundown
- Dans notre entreprise, il est important de toujours jeter les déchets dans la poubelle prévue à cet effet.In our company, it is important to always throw the waste in the dustbin provided for this purpose.
- N'oublie pas de vider la corbeille lorsque tu auras fini.Don't forget to empty the dustbin when you're done.
- Ne laisse pas les sacs devant le bac à ordure, mets-les à l'intérieur.Don't leave the bags in front of the dustbin, put them inside.
- Jette ça dans la poub', s'il te plaît.Throw that in the dustbin, please.
- Il faut sortir la poubelle.The dustbin needs to be taken out.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are tidying up their kitchen.
- NathanEmma, où est la poubelle ?Emma, where is the dustbin?
- EmmaElle est sous l'évier.It is under the sink.
- NathanMerci, elle est très petite.Thanks, it is very small.
- EmmaJe sais, je vais en acheter une plus grande.I know, I am going to buy a bigger one.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry poubelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries poubelle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
