portail
/pɔʁ.taj/masculine
The English word "portal" is translated into French as portail.
portail refers to a large, often outdoor or monumental entrance like a gate or a digital portal. In a computing context, portail is used to describe a web portal or an entry point to a specific network or service.
Meaning: entry point (noun)
Which one should you use?
While portail refers to a large, often outdoor or monumental entrance like a gate or a digital portal, porte is the standard word for a regular door.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of portail is portails.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔʁ.taj/
Did you know?
- French uses the word portail for a web portal, but for a 'gateway' in networking, the technical term is often passerelle, which literally means 'footbridge'.
- In French architecture, the portail of a cathedral is not just a door but often an elaborate sculpted facade that tells biblical stories to the public.
- Unlike the English 'portal' which can feel ethereal or sci-fi, the French portail remains very grounded in physical, heavy structures.
Examples in context
- Le portail est large.The portal is large.This sentence is useful for describing the size of a portail.Tatoeba #6629997 by nimfeo, translation #6685178 by Eccles17
- Ce portail a été créé à l'usage exclusif des étudiants.This portal was created exclusively for students to use.This sentence describes a portail created specifically for student use.Tatoeba #7664077 by tras, translation #7594610 by feudalism
- Je vous envoie le document via le portail.I am sending you the document through the portal.
- Veuillez envoyer les informations via la passerelle sécurisée.Please send the information through the secure portal.
- J'ai trouvé un excellent site qui propose des portails d'information.I found a great website that offers information portals.
- Connectez-vous au portail pour accéder à vos documents.Log in to the portal to access your documents.
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are arriving at a large estate.
- LucasOù se trouve le portail ?Where is the gate?
- ChloéIl est juste là, devant nous.It is right there, in front of us.
- LucasEst-ce que ce portail est fermé ?Is this gate closed?
- ChloéOui, Lucas, il faut appeler le propriétaire.Yes, Lucas, we have to call the owner.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “portal” translations and entries portail, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
