passer l'aspirateur
/pa.se l‿as.pi.ʁa.tœʁ/
The English phrase "hoovering" is translated into French as passer l'aspirateur.
You may also see the single verb aspirer used to mean "to vacuum" or "to suck", though passer l'aspirateur is more common when discussing the chore itself. For a very brief vacuuming session, you can use the informal expression Passer un coup d'aspi, which is a shortened version of passer un coup d'aspirateur.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the past tense ("I vacuumed"), use the passé composé with the auxiliary avoir and the past participle passé, as in j'ai passé l'aspirateur. To express the continuous action of vacuuming ("while vacuuming"), use the preposition en followed by the present participle passant, as in en passant l'aspirateur.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /pa.se l‿as.pi.ʁa.tœʁ/. It consists of 5 syllables.
Did you know?
- The verb aspirer means both 'to vacuum' and 'to aspire' to a goal or dream.
- While English speakers often use the brand name 'Hoover' as a verb, French speakers avoid using brand names for chores, preferring the literal 'to pass the vacuum cleaner'.
- The informal expression un coup d'aspi uses a common French linguistic pattern where 'un coup de' is added to a noun to describe a quick or effortless action.
Examples in context
- Je viens de passer l'aspirateur dans toute la maison.I just hoovered the whole house.
- J'ai nettoyé avec l'aspirateur pour enlever toute la saleté.I cleaned with the vacuum cleaner to remove all the dirt.
- Il est important d'aspirer la poussière régulièrement pour maintenir un environnement propre.It is important to vacuum the dust regularly to maintain a clean environment.
- Tu peux passer un coup d'aspi dans la chambre s'il te plaît ?Can you quickly hoover the bedroom, please?
- Je dois passer l'aspirateur dans le salon.I have to hoover in the living room.
- Tu peux passer l'aspirateur s'il te plaît ?Can you hoover, please?
- Elle déteste passer l'aspirateur le dimanche.She hates hoovering on Sundays.
Example conversation
At home on a Saturday morning.
- ManonNathan, est-ce que tu peux passer l'aspirateur ?Nathan, can you hoover?
- NathanOui, je vais passer l'aspirateur tout de suite.Yes, I will hoover right away.
- ManonMerci, c'est très gentil de ta part.Thank you, that is very kind of you.
- NathanDe rien, je termine ça rapidement.You're welcome, I'll finish it quickly.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry passer l'aspirateur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
