porte
/pɔʁt/feminine
The English word 'gate' can be translated into French as porte or portail.
Meaning: door-like structure outside (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| porte | /pɔʁt/ | feminine |
| portail | /pɔʁ.taj/ | masculine |
The term refers to a door-like structure located outside.
Which one should you use?
Use portail for a large, often ornamental or heavy gate, such as those for a driveway or a garden.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form portail is masculine, while the form porte is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔʁt/
Did you know?
- The term porte appears in the common idiom être à la porte, which means to be fired from a job or kicked out of a house.
- In a historical context, the porte of a medieval French city was not just a gate but a heavily fortified complex used for customs and defense.
- The English word 'portal' is a direct linguistic relative of the French portail, both sharing the same Latin ancestor regarding the act of passing through.
Examples in context
- Quel est ce portail ?Which gate is that?This sentence is useful for asking which gate is being referred to using portail.Tatoeba #12440414 by Rovo, translation #42670 by orcrist
- Le portail était fermé.The gate was locked.This sentence is useful for describing the state of a gate using portail.Tatoeba #10485990 by lbdx, translation #10361983 by ddnktr
- C'est la porte de devant.That's the main gate.This sentence is useful for identifying a main gate using porte.Tatoeba #12381 by sacredceltic, translation #1264224 by CK
- La porte du jardinThe garden gate
- Le portail de la maisonThe house gate
- Le portail est ouvertThe gate is open
- On se retrouve près du portailLet's meet near the gate
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are standing in front of a house garden.
- LéaOuvre la porte du jardin, Nathan.Open the garden gate, Nathan.
- NathanLa porte est bloquée.The gate is stuck.
- LéaEst-ce que la porte est grande ?Is the gate large?
- NathanOui, elle est assez grande.Yes, it is quite large.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gate” translations and entries porte, portail, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries portail, porte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
