ferraille
/fɛ.ʁaj/feminine
In French, the English term 'scrap' is translated as ferraille.
The term ferraille is used specifically to refer to scrap metal. It is not used for general trash or discarded paper. For example, if you are referring to general scraps or waste material in a formal context, the word déchets is more appropriate.
Meaning: discarded objects (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word ferraille is derived from fer, which means iron and specifically refers to scrap metal.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
ferraille is a feminine noun and is typically used with the definite article la, forming the phrase la ferraille to mean 'the scrap metal'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /fɛ.ʁaj/. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- Because it is rooted in the word for iron, calling something ferraille can sometimes imply that the object is worthless or of poor quality, even if it is not actually made of metal.
- The suffix -aille in ferraille is often used in French to create derogatory terms for groups of people or things seen as low-value and chaotic.
- The term ferraille is distinct from débris, which refers to the fragments of something that has been shattered or destroyed rather than just discarded.
Examples in context
- La vieille voiture a été prise pour la ferraille.The old car was taken for scrap.This sentence shows how to express that an old car was taken for the ferraille.Tatoeba #8587022 by Aiji, translation #2661465 by AlanF_US
- L'usine produit une quantité considérable de déchets chaque jour.The factory produces a significant amount of scrap every day.
- Nous devons trier les rebuts avant de les recycler.We need to sort the scraps before recycling them.
- J'ai récupéré quelques morceaux de bois pour mon projet.I picked up a few scraps of wood for my project.
- Ne jette pas ce bout de papier, il pourrait toujours servir.Don't throw away that scrap of paper, it might still be useful.
- On a vendu toute la ferraille au garage.We sold all the scrap to the garage.
- Il y a beaucoup de ferraille dans ce jardin.There is a lot of scrap in this garden.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are cleaning out their garage.
- LéaQu'est-ce qu'on fait avec toute cette ferraille ?What are we doing with all this scrap?
- LucasOn devrait tout emmener à la déchetterie.We should take it all to the dump.
- LéaTu as raison, Lucas, c'est trop encombrant.You're right, Lucas, it's too bulky.
- LucasJe vais charger la ferraille dans le camion.I will load the scrap into the truck.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “scrap” translations and entries ferraille, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
