crayon
/kʁɛ.jɔ̃/masculine
The French word for pencil is crayon.
crayon is a noun used to describe a graphite writing instrument. Depending on the context, it can refer to a standard graphite pencil or a colored pencil or wax crayon.
Meaning: graphite writing-instrument (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word 'crayon' can refer to both a graphite pencil and a colored pencil or wax crayon, depending on context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form crayon is considered colloquial.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Belgium and Switzerland, people may refer to a pencil as le crayon à mine.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, crayon is used with the masculine indefinite article un (e.g., un crayon). To make the word plural, add an 's' to the end: des crayons.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /kʁɛ.jɔ̃/.
Did you know?
- French uses crayon to describe the shape of certain items, such as crayon d'yeux for an eyeliner pencil.
- The French phrase tailler un crayon means to sharpen a pencil, using a verb that literally means 'to carve' or 'to cut'.
- The word crayon is actually a diminutive of craie, which means 'chalk'. It literally translates to 'little chalk'.
Examples in context
- As-tu un crayon ?Have you got a pencil?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has a crayon.Tatoeba #373543 by sysko, translation #25768 by sundown
- Ceci est un crayon.This is a pencil.This sentence is useful for identifying that something is a crayon.Tatoeba #577666 by sacredceltic, translation #55799 by CK
- Où est mon crayon ?Where is my pencil?This sentence is useful for asking for the location of a crayon.Tatoeba #7141603 by Aiji, translation #2548476 by CK
- J'ai besoin d'un crayon pour écrire.I need a pencil to write.
- Je préfère écrire avec le crayon à papier.I prefer to write with a pencil.
- Tu peux me prêter ton crayon à mine ?Can you lend me your pencil?
- J'ai besoin d'un crayon de papier pour l'examen.I need a pencil for the exam.
- 137 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a classroom, Emma is looking for her supplies.
- HugoEmma, tu as un crayon ?Emma, do you have a pencil?
- EmmaNon, j'ai perdu mon crayon.No, I lost my pencil.
- HugoTiens, utilise mon crayon.Here, use my pencil.
- EmmaMerci Hugo, c'est gentil.Thanks Hugo, that's kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pencil” translations and entries crayon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries crayon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
