rouillé
/ʁu.je/
The French word for 'rusty' in the sense of being out of practice is rouillé.
In a figurative sense, it is used to describe a person who is lacking recent experience or is out of practice in a particular skill.
Meaning: lacking recent experience, out of practice (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word rouillé is the past participle of the verb rouiller, which means to rust.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective must agree in gender and number with the person or group being described. Use rouillée if the subject is female, rouillés if describing a group of men or a mixed-gender group and rouillées if describing a group consisting only of women.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʁu.je/ across two syllables.
Did you know?
- If you want to 'shake off the cobwebs' or warm up your skills, you would use the verb dérouiller, which literally means to 'unrust' yourself.
- In French, the term rouillé can also be used to describe someone who is being incredibly slow or sluggish in their movements, much like a rusty machine.
- While rouillé describes being out of practice, a French speaker might instead say they are dépassé (outdated) if they feel their skills are truly obsolete in a modern context.
Examples in context
- Il est un peu rouillé.He's a little rusty.This sentence is useful for describing a male subject using rouillé.Tatoeba #1183853 by sacredceltic, translation #1183836 by Scott
- Je suis un peu rouillé.I'm a little rusty.This sentence is useful for describing oneself using rouillé.Tatoeba #1183840 by sacredceltic, translation #1183835 by Scott
- Tu me parais un peu rouillée.You seem to me a little rusty.This sentence is useful for describing a female subject using rouillée.Tatoeba #5564893 by sacredceltic, translation #11559692 by weirdie
- La voiture est rouillée.The car is rusty.
- La clé est rouillée.The key is rusty.
- Le métal est corrodé.The metal is rusty.
- La structure est corrodée.The structure is rusty.
- Cet outil est rouillé comme une vieille casserole.This tool is rusty like an old pan.
- Cette bicyclette est rouillée comme une vieille casserole.This bicycle is rusty like an old pan.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are discussing their old piano lessons.
- ChloéTu joues encore du piano ?Do you still play the piano?
- HugoOui, mais je suis un peu rouillé.Yes, but I am a bit rusty.
- ChloéNe t'inquiète pas, ça reviendra.Don't worry, it will come back to you.
- HugoJ'espère, car je me sens rouillé.I hope so, because I feel rusty.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rusty” translations and entries rouillé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
