plante
/plɑ̃t/
The English verb 'plant' is translated as plante in French.
The term refers to the action of placing something in soil or another substrate so that it may live and grow.
Meaning: to place in soil or other substrate in order that it may live and grow (verb)
Which one should you use?
While plante is the standard term, you may see végétal used when referring to plants in an ecological or scientific context. For small or herbaceous organisms, the term herbacée can be used.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form plante is the third-person singular present indicative of the verb planter.
How do you pronounce it?
/plɑ̃t/
When do people say it?
To describe someone who has a talent for gardening, French speakers use the expression Avoir la main verte, which means 'to have the green thumb'.
Did you know?
- In French computer terminology, when a computer freezes or crashes, it is said to planter.
- In French, the word plante can refer to both the biological organism and the 'sole' of a human foot.
- In French, the verb planter can also be used metaphorically to mean 'to drive' or 'to sink' something into a surface, such as 'to drive a nail into a wall' (planter un clou dans le mur).
Examples in context
- La plante est bleue.The plant is blue.This sentence is useful for describing the color of a plante.Tatoeba #2340279 by martin9, translation #3243287 by qwertzu
- Plantez des arbres !Plant trees!This sentence uses the imperative to give an instruction involving plante.Tatoeba #3606556 by sacredceltic, translation #3608063 by panamicua
- Il plantera un sapin.He will plant a pine tree.This sentence shows the future tense of the verb planter in relation to plante.Tatoeba #5266211 by martin9, translation #8343188 by AlanF_US
- Les plantes produisent de l'oxygène grâce à la photosynthèse.Plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
- J'ai planté quelques herbes aromatiques dans mon jardin.I planted some aromatic herbs in my garden.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are working together in the garden.
- ManonGabriel, tu plantes ce jeune pommier ?Gabriel, are you planting this young apple tree?
- GabrielOui, je plante l'arbre juste ici.Yes, I am planting the tree right here.
- ManonEst-ce que je plante les fleurs à côté ?Should I plant the flowers next to it?
- GabrielOui, c'est une bonne idée, Manon.Yes, that is a good idea, Manon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry plante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
