Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| étagère | /e.ta.ʒɛʁ/ | feminine |
| rayon | /ʁɛ.jɔ̃/ /ʁe.jɔ̃/ |
masculine |
| tablard | /ta.blaʁ/ | Switzerland, masculine |
In French, the word you choose for shelf depends on the context of the structure. Étagère is the most common term for a standalone shelf or a shelving unit used for storage or decoration. You might use the phrase étagère murale to specifically describe a wall-mounted shelf.
Which one should you use?
While étagère refers to a physical piece of furniture or a structure, rayon is used specifically to refer to a shelf within a supermarket or a store, which often implies the aisle that the shelf belongs to.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Switzerland, the word tablard is used to refer to a shelf.
How does it change in a sentence?
Étagère is a feminine noun. Its plural is étagères. Rayon is a masculine noun. Its plural is rayons.
How do you pronounce it?
Étagère is pronounced /e.ta.ʒɛʁ/ and consists of three syllables.
Did you know?
- The supermarket term rayon actually shares its ancient roots with the word for a honeycomb.
- The word étagère is used in English as a loanword to describe a set of open shelves used for ornaments.
- While rayon means a shelf in a shop, it is also the French word for a 'ray' of light or a 'spoke' of a wheel.
Examples in context
- Sur quelle étagère ?On which shelf?This sentence is useful for asking which étagère to use.Tatoeba #514706 by sacredceltic, translation #7357035 by Eccles17
- John a fait une étagère.John made a book shelf.This sentence shows how to use étagère to describe a piece of furniture one has made.Tatoeba #584709 by qdii, translation #488176 by saasmath
- Mets la farine sur l'étagère.Put the flour on the shelf.This sentence demonstrates placing an item on an étagère.Tatoeba #1313181 by sacredceltic, translation #1312793 by CK
- J'ai placé les livres sur l'étagère.I placed the books on the shelf.
- La boutique vend de superbes étagères en bois.The store sells beautiful wooden shelves.
- Nous devons réorganiser le rayonnage dans l'entrepôt.We need to rearrange the shelves in the warehouse.
- Les supermarchés utilisent souvent des rayonnages métalliques.Supermarkets often use metal shelving.
- J'ai posé les serviettes sur la tablette de la salle de bains.I placed the towels on the bathroom shelf.
- 78 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are arranging their new apartment.
- GabrielOù est l'étagère pour les livres ?Where is the shelf for the books?
- ManonElle est dans le carton bleu.It is in the blue box.
- GabrielManon, peux-tu m'aider à la monter ?Manon, can you help me assemble it?
- ManonOui, je vais chercher les outils.Yes, I will go get the tools.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shelf” translations and entries étagère, rayon, tablard, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rayon, tablard, étagère, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
