gardien de but
/ɡaʁ.djɛ̃ d(ə) byt/masculine
The English phrase goalkeeper in French is gardien de but. If unsure, use gardien de but. Wiktionary also lists gardien and goal.
Meaning: player that protects a goal (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gardien de but | /ɡaʁ.djɛ̃ d(ə) byt/ /ɡaʁ.djɛ̃ d(ə) by/ |
masculine |
| gardien | /ɡaʁ.djɛ̃/ | masculine |
| goal | /ɡol/ | masculine |
| portier | /pɔʁ.tje/ | masculine |
A goalkeeper is a player that protects a goal. The term gardienne de but is used specifically for a female goalkeeper.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase gardien de but literally translates to 'guardian of goal'.
Which one should you use?
While gardien de but is the full technical term, gardien is frequently used as a shorthand in both sports commentary and casual conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term portier is a colloquial or slightly old-fashioned term for a goalkeeper, often used in a more colorful or journalistic way.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female goalkeeper, the masculine gardien changes to the feminine gardienne.
Did you know?
- The word but for 'goal' shares a common ancestor with the English word 'butt'. Both words originally referred to a tree stump or a log used as a target in martial training.
Examples in context
- Il est gardien de but.He's a goalkeeper.Tatoeba #845929 by U2FS, translation #11818344 by sundown
- Qui est le meilleur gardien du monde ?Who is the world's best goalkeeper?Tatoeba #11415048 by lbdx, translation #6558261 by sundown
- L'entraîneur a félicité le gardien de but.The manager patted the goalkeeper on the back.Tatoeba #10127849 by lbdx, translation #8826704 by sundown
- Le gardien de but a effectué une superbe paradeThe goalkeeper made an excellent save.
- Le gardien de cage a arrêté plusieurs tirs au butThe goalkeeper stopped several shots on goal.
- Le gardien a arrêté un penaltyThe goalkeeper stopped a penalty kick.
- Le portier a réussi à bloquer le tirThe goalkeeper managed to block the shot.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are talking about their football team.
- NathanEst-ce que tu veux être gardien de but ?Do you want to be the goalkeeper?
- ChloéNon, je préfère jouer en attaque.No, I prefer to play in attack.
- NathanOn a vraiment besoin d'un gardien de but.We really need a goalkeeper.
- ChloéJe vais demander à un autre ami.I will ask another friend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goalkeeper” translations and entries gardien de but, gardien, goal, portier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries but, de, gardien, goal, portier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
