serpillière
/sɛʁ.pi.jɛʁ/feminine
The French word for mop is serpillière. Wiktionary also lists vadrouille and moppe.
Meaning: implement for washing floors (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| serpillière | /sɛʁ.pi.jɛʁ/ | feminine |
| vadrouille | /va.dʁuj/ | Quebec, feminine |
| moppe | /mɔp/ | Quebec, feminine |
A serpillière refers to an implement used for washing floors. You can also use the related verb serpiller to describe the action of rubbing, scrubbing, cleaning or wiping with a mop.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the word vadrouille is commonly used for a mop. In Quebec, moppe is also a common colloquial term for a mop.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun serpillière is feminine. The noun serpillière is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine article une serpillière.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛʁ.pi.jɛʁ/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- If you tell a friend in France that you are going to vadrouiller, they will think you are going for a stroll. The verb means to wander or wander about, which is quite a jump from the noun vadrouille used for a mop in Quebec.
- The word serpillière is actually a botanical reference. It comes from the Latin word for 'bullrush', a type of reed that people once used to scrub floors.
Examples in context
- As-tu une serpillière et un seau ?Do you have a mop and a bucket?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a serpillière and a bucket.Tatoeba #12178871 by lbdx, translation #6472153 by Hybrid
- Nettoyez le sol avec cette serpillière, s'il vous plaît.Please clean the floor with this mop.This sentence is useful for requesting that someone clean a floor using a serpillière.Tatoeba #2109277 by chkube, translation #60440 by CK
- N'oublie pas de passer la serpillière avant que les invités arrivent.Don't forget to mop the floor before the guests arrive.
- La serpillière est encore très sale.The mop is still very dirty.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are cleaning their apartment.
- ChloéNathan, peux-tu prendre la serpillière ?Nathan, can you grab the mop?
- NathanOui, où est le seau ?Yes, where is the bucket?
- ChloéIl est dans la salle de bain.It is in the bathroom.
- NathanJe vais le chercher tout de suite.I will go get it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mop” translations and entries serpillière, vadrouille, moppe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries moppe, serpillière, vadrouille, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
