cartable
/kaʁ.tabl/
The French word for school bag is cartable.
A cartable is a bag used by students to carry books and supplies to school. While cartable is a specific term for a school bag, you might also hear sac d'école, which is a common and neutral way to refer to a school bag. Additionally, sac à dos specifically means backpack, though it is widely used to refer to school bags since many students use them.
Which one should you use?
Use cartable when specifically referring to a school bag. If you are talking about a backpack, use sac à dos, which is a common way for students to carry their supplies.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Canadian French-speaking regions, you may hear sac d'écolier instead of sac d'école and you might hear sacoche instead of cartable.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaʁ.tabl/
Did you know?
- While cartable now means a school bag, it is derived from carte, which means 'map' or 'card'. Historically, it referred to a case used to hold these flat sheets of paper.
- The phrase faire son cartable is used to mean 'packing one's bag'. In French, you 'make' your school bag rather than 'filling' it.
- In France, the cartable is a cultural symbol of the transition to childhood autonomy. The first day of school often focuses heavily on the child's ability to manage their own cartable.
Examples in context
- Joseph, où est ton cartable ?Joseph, where is your school bag?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of a cartable.Tatoeba #13929087 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13929088 by Ioan_Cristian
- Jean, j'ai mis le goûter dans ton cartable.John, I put the breaktime sandwich in your school bag.This sentence shows how to describe putting something inside a cartable.Tatoeba #13907351 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13907350 by Ioan_Cristian
- As-tu bien mis tes livres dans ton sac d'école?Did you put your books properly in your school bag?
- Je vais chercher ma trousse dans mon sac.I'm going to get my pencil case from my school bag.
Example conversation
Emma is helping Gabriel find his things before school.
- GabrielOù est mon cartable ?Where is my school bag?
- EmmaIl est dans l'entrée, Gabriel.It is in the entrance, Gabriel.
- GabrielMerci, Emma !Thanks, Emma!
- EmmaDe rien, dépêche-toi.You're welcome, hurry up.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cartable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cartable, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
