Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| parking | /paʁ.kiŋ/ (France) /paʁ.kiɲ/ (Quebec) |
masculine |
| parc de stationnement | masculine | |
| stationnement | /sta.sjɔn.mɑ̃/ | Canada, masculine |
The term refers to an open or paved area where automobiles are left when not in use.
Which one should you use?
In France, un parking refers to the entire area (the lot), whereas une place de parking refers to a single parking space. parc de stationnement is a more formal and precise term often used in official signage or administrative contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word parking is the most common way to say 'parking lot' in everyday spoken French in France and is considered informal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec and other parts of Canada, stationnement is frequently used to refer to a parking space or the act of parking. In France, stationnement refers more specifically to the act of parking itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
parking is a masculine noun and is used with the masculine article le.
How do you pronounce it?
/paʁ.kiŋ/
Did you know?
- In Quebec, the term parc de stationnement was specifically promoted by the Office québécois de la langue française as an official way to avoid using the English-influenced 'parking'.
- While 'parking' is the go-to word in France, if you are in Quebec, using it might mark you as using an anglicism, as stationnement is the preferred local term.
Examples in context
- Le parking est vide.The parking lot is empty.This sentence shows how to describe the state of the parking.Tatoeba #1704163 by sacredceltic, translation #1699321 by Spamster
- Y a-t-il un parking ?Is there a parking lot?This sentence is useful for asking about the existence of a parking.Tatoeba #1291943 by sacredceltic, translation #277695 by CK
- Tom a couru jusqu'au parking.Tom ran to the parking lot.This sentence describes movement toward the parking.Tatoeba #9011774 by Micsmithel, translation #6110410 by CK
- Le parking est situé à côté de l'hôtelThe parking lot is located next to the hotel
- Je vous retrouve au stationnement à midiI'll meet you at the parking lot at noon
- On se rejoint au parking cet après-midi ?Shall we meet at the parking lot this afternoon?
- Il y a de la place dans le parc de stationnementThere is space in the parking lot
- Excusez-moi, pourriez-vous me dire où se trouve le parking le plus proche ?Excuse me, could you tell me where the nearest parking lot is?
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are looking for a place to leave the car near a restaurant.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu vois un parking ?Do you see a parking lot?
- LéaOui, il y a un parking juste là.Yes, there is a parking lot right there.
- GabrielParfait, je vais me garer.Perfect, I am going to park.
- LéaD'accord, on se rejoint à l'entrée.Okay, let's meet at the entrance.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “parking lot” translations and entries parking, stationnement, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, parc, parking, stationnement, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
