sable
/sabl/masculine
The French word for sand is sable.
sable is a masculine noun referring to finely ground rock. It can also be used as an adjective to describe a specific color.
Meaning: finely ground rock (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because sand is an uncountable mass noun, you use the partitive article du to express 'some sand' (e.g., du sable). To describe something as being made of or covered in sand, use the adjective sablonneux.
How do you pronounce it?
/sabl/
Did you know?
- French uses the word sabler as a slang term meaning to drink a glass of wine or champagne in one single gulp.
- A sablé is a type of French shortbread cookie known for its 'sandy' crumbly texture.
- In heraldry, the word sable does not refer to sand but is the formal term for the color black.
Examples in context
- Je hais le sable.I hate sand.This sentence expresses a strong dislike for sable.Tatoeba #1924397 by sacredceltic, translation #1923379 by Spamster
- Il mangea du sable.He ate some sand.This sentence describes the action of eating sable.Tatoeba #1924395 by sacredceltic, translation #1923380 by Spamster
- Le sable était chaud.The sand was warm.This sentence describes the temperature of the sable.Tatoeba #4534214 by sicerabibax, translation #3305876 by Hybrid
- J'adore marcher pieds nus sur le sable .I love walking barefoot on the sand.
- Nous avons passé la journée à bronzer sur le sable fin .We spent the day sunbathing on the fine sand.
- Les enfants ont construit un château de sable sur la plage.The children built a sandcastle on the beach.
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are walking on a beach.
- LucasRegarde tout ce sable blanc !Look at all this white sand!
- LéaC'est magnifique, Léa adore le sable.It's magnificent, Léa loves the sand.
- LucasOn peut construire un château de sable.We can build a sandcastle.
- LéaOui, cherchons un endroit plat.Yes, let's find a flat spot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sand” translations and entries sable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
