bibliothèque
/bi.bli.jɔ.tɛk/feminine
The French word for library is bibliothèque.
bibliothèque refers to an institution which holds books, etc.
Meaning: institution which holds books, etc. (noun)
Which one should you use?
While bibliothèque refers to a place where you borrow books for free, librairie refers to a commercial shop where you buy books.
How does it change in a sentence?
bibliothèque is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/bi.bli.jɔ.tɛk/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use librairie to mean a library, but librairie actually means a bookstore where books are sold.
Did you know?
- The suffix -thèque in bibliothèque refers to a case or container. This same root is used in discothèque for a place that stores records and discs.
- In French, the word bibliothèque can describe both the grand public building and the actual piece of furniture used to hold books at home.
- The suffix '-thèque' in bibliothèque is a direct linguistic descendant of the Greek '-thēkē', which originally meant a container or a chest.
Examples in context
- Il est à la bibliothèque.He is in the library.This sentence shows how to say someone is in the library using bibliothèque.Tatoeba #4450894 by franlexcois, translation #3378273 by _undertoad
- Il alla à la bibliothèque.He went to the library.This sentence shows the past tense of going to the library using bibliothèque.Tatoeba #1997359 by sacredceltic, translation #1996935 by Spamster
- Je suis à la bibliothèque.I'm at the library.This sentence shows how to say you are at the library using bibliothèque.Tatoeba #11522133 by Aiji, translation #1068771 by CK
- La bibliothèque est un endroit de savoir et de partage.The library is a place of knowledge and sharing.
- La médiathèque propose un large éventail de ressources multimédias.The media library offers a wide range of multimedia resources.
- Je vais à la biblio pour emprunter un roman intéressant.I'm going to the library to borrow an interesting novel.
- 306 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are deciding where to study.
- NathanOn se retrouve à la bibliothèque ?Shall we meet at the library?
- ChloéOui, c'est plus calme là-bas.Yes, it is quieter over there.
- NathanQuelle bibliothèque préfères-tu ?Which library do you prefer?
- ChloéJe préfère la bibliothèque municipale.I prefer the municipal library.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “library” translations and entries bibliothèque, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bibliothèque, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
