caoutchouc
/ka.ut.ʃu/masculine
The French word for rubber is caoutchouc. Wiktionary also lists gomme.
Meaning: pliable material derived from the sap of the rubber tree (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| caoutchouc | /ka.ut.ʃu/ | masculine |
| gomme | /ɡɔm/ | feminine |
The translation of the English word rubber depends on whether you mean the physical substance or the stationery item. Use caoutchouc to refer to the pliable material derived from the sap of the rubber tree. Use gomme to refer to an eraser used for removing pencil marks, such as in a classroom or office context.
Which one should you use?
caoutchouc refers to the raw material or the industrial substance, whereas gomme is used when referring to an eraser.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Canadian French, particularly in the province of Quebec, the term un effaceur is used to mean a rubber or eraser.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
caoutchouc is a masculine noun, while gomme is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word caoutchouc is pronounced /ka.ut.ʃu/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word caoutchouc is an ancient guest in the French language, arriving from the Quechua word kawchu via Spanish.
- In French, the word gomme is used for both a pencil eraser and chewing gum, chewing-gum.
Examples in context
- Tu peux me prêter ta gomme ?Can you lend me your rubber?This sentence shows how to ask to borrow a gomme.Tatoeba #7858203 by Aiji, translation #10575257 by sundown
- Où est le canard en caoutchouc ?Where is the rubber duck?This sentence uses caoutchouc to describe a toy duck.Tatoeba #1630588 by sacredceltic, translation #1627299 by Spamster
- Le caoutchouc est extrait des hévéas.Rubber is extracted from rubber trees.This sentence describes the extraction of caoutchouc from trees.Tatoeba #12958010 by lbdx, translation #5481118 by Hybrid
- Est-ce que tu peux me prêter une gomme, s'il te plaît?Can you lend me a rubber, please?
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are in an art classroom.
- ManonEst-ce que ce jouet est en caoutchouc ?Is this toy made of rubber?
- HugoOui, c'est du caoutchouc pur.Yes, it is pure rubber.
- ManonC'est très souple sous mes doigts.It is very flexible under my fingers.
- HugoLe caoutchouc est une matière intéressante.Rubber is an interesting material.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rubber” translations and entries caoutchouc, gomme, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caoutchouc, gomme, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
