eaux grises
feminine, plural
In French, the phrase for "gray water" is eaux grises. If unsure, use eaux grises. Wiktionary also lists eau de ménage.
Meaning: non-potable, but non-toxic water (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| eaux grises | feminine, plural |
| eau de ménage | feminine |
This term refers to non-potable, non-toxic wastewater, typically from sources like sinks or showers.
Which one should you use?
eaux grises is the technical or environmental term used to describe this specific type of wastewater, while eau de ménage is a more colloquial way to refer to it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The technical term eaux grises is almost always used in its plural form.
Did you know?
- In a different context, ménage can refer to a 'household' or a 'couple', making 'eau de ménage' sound like 'water of the couple' if taken literally.
- In France, the concept of eaux grises is often discussed alongside eaux vannes, which specifically refers to wastewater from toilets.
- The word eau underwent extreme phonetic changes from its Latin ancestor aqua, losing almost all of its original consonants.
Examples in context
- Il est important de traiter correctement les eaux grises avant de les rejeter dans l'environnement.It is important to properly treat gray water before discharging it into the environment.
- Les systèmes de recyclage des eaux grises sont de plus en plus utilisés dans les bâtiments durables.Gray water recycling systems are increasingly used in sustainable buildings.
- Les eaux grises peuvent être traitées pour une utilisation sûre dans l'irrigation des jardins.Gray water can be treated for safe use in garden irrigation.
- Il est préférable d'éviter de mélanger les eaux grises avec les eaux usées toxiques.It is best to avoid mixing gray water with toxic wastewater.
- On peut réutiliser les eaux grises pour le jardin.We can reuse gray water for the garden.
- Le système filtre les eaux grises de la douche.The system filters gray water from the shower.
- Il faut traiter les eaux grises avant de les rejeter.Gray water must be treated before being discharged.
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing home sustainability improvements.
- HugoEst-ce qu'on peut utiliser les eaux grises ici ?Can we use gray water here?
- ChloéOui, Hugo, c'est très écologique pour les plantes.Yes, Hugo, it is very eco-friendly for the plants.
- HugoC'est une excellente idée pour notre maison.That is an excellent idea for our house.
- ChloéJe vais installer le système demain.I will install the system tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “gray water” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, eau, ménage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
