poubelle
/pu.bɛl/feminine
In French, garbage is translated as poubelle. Wiktionary also lists déchet.
Meaning: waste material (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| poubelle | /pu.bɛl/ | feminine |
| déchet | /de.ʃɛ/ | masculine |
While poubelle is a metonymy commonly used in French to refer to the waste inside the bin, déchet and ordures refer to waste material.
Which one should you use?
poubelle is commonly used to refer to the garbage itself through metonymy, whereas déchet and ordures refer more directly to the waste material. Note that poubelle is also the word for the garbage bin or trash can.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of poubelle is poubelles, and the plural form of déchet is déchets.
How do you pronounce it?
/pu.bɛl/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may use poubelle to refer to the substance of the garbage, but ordures is the more accurate noun for the actual refuse itself.
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 standardized trash cans in the 1880s.
- If you call something ordure in a metaphorical sense, you are not just calling it 'rubbish', you are calling it 'filth' or 'scum'. It carries a much stronger moral insult than the English word 'garbage'.
- The term déchet is used in French to describe anything that has lost its value or utility, not just physical trash.
Examples in context
- Tu as sorti la poubelle ?Have you taken out the garbage?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has taken out the poubelle.Tatoeba #6467201 by lapinhibou, translation #4772242 by CK
- Je dois sortir la poubelle.I have to take out the garbage.This sentence is useful for stating a necessity to take out the poubelle.Tatoeba #9710511 by lbdx, translation #6260972 by CK
- C'est à Tom de sortir la poubelle.It's Tom's turn to take out the garbage.This sentence is useful for identifying whose turn it is to take out the poubelle.Tatoeba #4959095 by franlexcois, translation #3513502 by CK
- Les déchets doivent être triés et recyclés correctement.The garbage must be sorted and recycled properly.
- Jette cela dans la poubelle, s'il te plaît.Please throw that in the garbage can.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are cleaning up the kitchen together.
- LucasOù est la poubelle, s'il te plaît ?Where is the garbage bin, please?
- ChloéElle est sous l'évier, Lucas.It is under the sink, Lucas.
- LucasMerci, la poubelle est presque pleine.Thanks, the garbage is almost full.
- ChloéJe m'en occupe après le repas.I will take care of it after the meal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garbage” translations and entries poubelle, déchet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries déchet, poubelle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
