Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| itinéraire | /i.ti.ne.ʁɛʁ/ | masculine |
| route | /ʁut/ | feminine |
| chemin | /ʃə.mɛ̃/ | masculine |
These words all relate to a course or way traveled, but they are used in specific ways. itinéraire describes a planned path or a specific travel plan. route can refer to the physical road or highway itself, and it is also used in the idiomatic expression en route to indicate that someone or something is currently traveling toward a destination. chemin is used for a path, trail or a general way.
Which one should you use?
While itinéraire refers to a planned itinerary, route often refers to the physical road or highway. Similarly, chemin is used for a path or trail, whereas route implies a more developed or paved road.
How does it change in a sentence?
route is a feminine noun. Its plural is routes. chemin is a masculine noun. Its plural is chemins. itinéraire is a masculine noun. Its plural is itinéraires.
How do you pronounce it?
/i.ti.ne.ʁɛʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers might mistakenly use route to mean a specific travel plan. However, itinéraire is the more precise French term for a planned course of travel.
Did you know?
- The word route is a linguistic 'scar' from the past, descending from the Latin rupta, which literally means 'a broken way'.
- While route refers to the road, the French use the word chemin in the common idiom faire son chemin, which means to succeed in life or make progress in a career.
- In French, the word route can be used in the phrase prendre la route, which doesn't just mean choosing a path but is the standard way to say 'to set off' or 'to start a journey'.
Examples in context
- Quelle route emprunter ?Which route to take?This sentence is useful for asking which route to take.Tatoeba #8899901 by Julien_PDC, translation #8998774 by carlosalberto
- Les secours sont en chemin.Paramedics are en route.This sentence demonstrates the use of chemin in the phrase 'en chemin' to mean being on the way.Tatoeba #13874974 by gillux, translation #12314105 by CK
- Tom est en route vers Boston.Tom is en route to Boston.This sentence shows how route is used in the expression 'en route' to mean traveling toward a destination.Tatoeba #6996963 by Aiji, translation #5745348 by CM
- Je vais prendre ce cheminI'm going to take this route.
- Restez sur cette voieStay on this route.
- Quel est l'itinéraire le plus rapide ?What is the fastest route?
- Peux-tu m'indiquer le chemin le plus court pour aller à la gare, s'il te plaît?Can you tell me the shortest route to the train station, please?
- Nous avons suivi l'itinéraire recommandé et nous sommes arrivés en avance.We followed the recommended route and arrived early.
- 28 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are planning a hiking trip.
- LéaTu as choisi l'itinéraire ?Have you chosen the route?
- NathanOui, je l'ai tracé sur la carte.Yes, I drew it on the map.
- LéaEst-ce que l'itinéraire est difficile ?Is the route difficult?
- NathanNon, il est assez simple.No, it is quite simple.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “route” translations and entries itinéraire, route, chemin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chemin, itinéraire, route, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
