courses
The French phrase for errands is courses.
The term courses is used to describe short trips made to buy food or other necessary household supplies.
Which one should you use?
While courses can mean errands in a general sense, it specifically implies shopping for supplies or food. In contrast, the word commissions might be used for more general tasks or errands, such as picking up a package.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a single errand, use the singular form une course with the verb faire (faire une course).
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse courses (errands/shopping) with cours (lessons/classes). Ensure you include the 'e' to maintain the meaning of errands.
Did you know?
- The word courses can also refer to 'races', such as horse racing or running competitions. Context is vital to distinguish whether someone is 'doing errands' or participating in a 'race'.
- In French, faire les courses can refer to shopping for food, but faire du shopping is used specifically for leisure shopping, like buying clothes or jewelry.
- The word course comes from the verb courir, meaning 'to run'. Historically, it implied the haste of running from one shop to another to finish chores.
Examples in context
- J'ai des courses à faire.I have errands to run.Tatoeba #1803666 by sacredceltic, translation #1553471 by CK
- J'ai quelques courses à faire.I have a few errands to run.Tatoeba #3093480 by Blabla, translation #2358706 by CK
- Je vais faire quelques courses.I'm going to run a few errands.Tatoeba #11228263 by lbdx, translation #2541884 by CK
- J'ai plusieurs courses à faire cet après-midi.I have several errands to run this afternoon.
- Je dois m'occuper de quelques tâches administratives aujourd'hui.I need to take care of some administrative errands today.
- J'ai plein de petits trucs à faire aujourd'hui.I have lots of errands to run today.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are discussing their plans for the afternoon.
- LucasTu vas faire des courses cet après-midi ?Are you going to do some errands this afternoon?
- ManonOui, je dois faire des courses pour la semaine.Yes, I need to do some errands for the week.
- LucasTu veux que je t'accompagne ?Do you want me to go with you?
- ManonC'est gentil, mais je préfère y aller seule.That's kind, but I prefer to go alone.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry courses, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
