concierge
/kɔ̃.sjɛʁʒ/feminine, masculine
The French word for janitor is concierge.
concierge is used to refer to a janitor or a building caretaker. In France, a concierge often lives in an apartment within the building they manage, serving as both a caretaker and a point of contact for residents. If you wish to focus specifically on cleaning and upkeep, you can use agent d'entretien, which means maintenance agent or maintenance worker.
Meaning: caretaker (noun)
Which one should you use?
In a luxury hotel context, concierge refers to a specific staff member who assists guests with bookings and information, rather than a janitor. For more formal settings, you may use the masculine gardien or the feminine gardienne to mean caretaker or custodian.
How does it change in a sentence?
concierge can be used as both a masculine and a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɔ̃.sjɛʁʒ/
When do people say it?
A concierge in France often resides in the building they manage, acting as a key point of contact for the residents.
Did you know?
- The 'Conciergerie' in Paris is a museum today, but it was once the seat of the royal administration and a courthouse.
- The word concierge has a surprisingly humble origin, likely descending from the Latin word cōnservus, which means 'fellow-slave'.
- In French culture, the concierge has a historical reputation for being a gossip who knows everyone's secrets in the building.
Examples in context
- Tom n'est pas concierge.Tom isn't a janitor.This sentence is useful for practicing the negation of the word concierge.Tatoeba #11741418 by soridsolid, translation #6357855 by CK
- Le concierge de l'école a mangé la grenouille de notre salle de classe.The school janitor ate the frog in our classroom.This sentence shows how to use the word concierge in the context of a school.Tatoeba #6729036 by Eccles17, translation #6729041 by Eccles17
- L'immeuble est bien entretenu grâce au concierge.The building is well-maintained thanks to the janitor.
- La gardienne assure la propreté des locaux.The janitor ensures the cleanliness of the premises.
- L'agent d'entretien nettoie les couloirs tous les matins.The janitor cleans the corridors every morning.
- J'ai demandé à l'homme de ménage de nettoyer ma chambre.I asked the janitor to clean my room.
- Le concierge de l'immeuble est très aimable.The building's caretaker is very kind.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are talking in the apartment lobby.
- HugoEst-ce que tu as vu le concierge ?Have you seen the janitor?
- ChloéOui, il est dans le garage.Yes, he is in the garage.
- HugoJe dois lui rendre mes clés.I have to return my keys to him.
- ChloéD'accord, je t'accompagne.Okay, I'll go with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “janitor” translations and entries concierge, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries concierge, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
