voie
/vwa/feminine
In French, the English word lane is translated as voie.
voie is used to refer to a division of a roadway. The phrase voie de gauche refers to the left lane, which is often the fast or passing lane, while voie de droite refers to the right lane, often implying the slow or cruising lane. Note that voie rapide is more commonly used to describe an expressway or a high-speed road rather than just a fast lane.
Meaning: division of roadway (noun)
Which one should you use?
While voie can mean a lane on a road, it is also the standard term for a railway track or a lane in a swimming pool.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Provençal region, the term Calade is used to refer specifically to a paved lane.
How do you pronounce it?
/vwa/
Did you know?
- The word voie is used in the phrase voie lactée to name our 'Milky Way' galaxy.
- The word voie can also refer to a 'path' or 'track' in a metaphorical sense, such as in the expression voie de garage, used to describe a dead-end or a fruitless endeavor.
- The word voie is a direct descendant of the Latin word via, making it a linguistic cousin to the English word 'way'.
Examples in context
- Au Japon, la plupart des routes sont à une voie.In Japan, almost all roads are single-lane.This sentence is useful for describing road conditions in Japan using voie.Tatoeba #1580710 by sacredceltic, translation #281211 by sundown
- Si un policier vous arrête pour circulation abusive sur la voie de gauche, a-t-il carte blanche pour fouiller le contenu de votre téléphone aussi ?When a police officer pulls you over for driving in the fast lane, does he have carte blanche to search your cell phone, too?This sentence is useful for discussing legal situations regarding the voie.Tatoeba #5231740 by jmdesp, translation #4586253 by LB
- C'est une voie de circulation.It’s a traffic lane.This sentence is useful for identifying a traffic lane using voie.Tatoeba #11263546 by Igider, translation #13363036 by Igider
- Le musée se trouve dans une rue piétonne.The museum is located in a pedestrian lane.
- Prenez la deuxième voie sur votre droite.Take the second lane on your right.
- On se retrouve à la terrasse de ce café, dans la p'tite rue adjacente.Let's meet at the terrace of this café, in the small adjacent lane.
- La boutique se trouve au bout de la ruelle.The shop is at the end of the lane.
- Je vais me promener dans les venelles pittoresques du village.I am going for a walk in the picturesque lanes of the village.
- Les ruelles du vieux port sont pavées de calades.The lanes of the old port are paved with calades.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are driving on a highway.
- LéaChange de voie, Hugo.Change lanes, Hugo.
- HugoJe passe dans la voie de droite.I am moving into the right lane.
- LéaCette voie est très encombrée.This lane is very crowded.
- HugoOn va bientôt y arriver.We will arrive soon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lane” translations and entries voie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries voie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
