Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| frais de port | /fʁɛ d(ə) pɔʁ/ | masculine |
| frais de transport | masculine | |
| transport | /tʁɑ̃s.pɔʁ/ | masculine |
| frais de livraison | masculine |
The phrase frais de port is the standard term used in commercial invoices and shipping quotes to denote shipping costs.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase frais de port literally translates to 'costs of the port/harbor', which refers to the historical costs associated with moving goods via a port.
Which one should you use?
frais de port is a traditional term, whereas frais de livraison is more commonly used in modern e-commerce to refer specifically to the costs of bringing a package to a customer's door.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word frais is always plural in this context. You cannot use the singular le frais to refer to shipping costs.
How do you pronounce it?
/fʁɛ d(ə) pɔʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use expédition to mean 'shipping costs'. In French, expédition refers to the act of dispatching the goods, not the cost itself.
Did you know?
- The word livraison comes from the verb livrer, which can also mean 'to betray' or 'to give up' a secret.
- The word frais used in frais de port is an unexpected relative of the English word 'fresh'.
- The term frais de port is a linguistic fossil. It persists in modern French even though most modern shipping occurs via roads or air rather than through maritime harbors.
Examples in context
- Combien coûtent les frais de port ?How much is the shipping?This sentence is useful for asking about the cost of frais de port.Tatoeba #11166858 by lbdx, translation #11166683 by ddnktr
- La livraison est prévue demain après-midi.The shipping is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.
- L'expédition de mon colis a été retardée.The shipping of my package has been delayed.
- Le transport de ces marchandises est essentiel pour notre entreprise.The shipping of these goods is crucial for our business.
- La livraison arrivera demain. J'ai hâte de recevoir mon colis !The shipping will arrive tomorrow. I'm excited to receive my package!
- J'ai envoyé les documents hier par la poste.I shipped the documents yesterday via mail.
- Ton colis est prêt à être expédié aujourd'hui.Your package is ready to be shipped today.
- Le port de ces matériaux sera coûteux.The shipping of these materials will be costly.
- Les frais de port sont très élevés.The shipping costs are very high.
- Est-ce que les frais de port sont inclus ?Are the shipping costs included?
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are discussing an online purchase.
- ChloéRegarde ce livre, il est vraiment moins cher.Look at this book, it is really cheaper.
- LucasOui, mais vérifie les frais de port d'abord.Yes, but check the shipping costs first.
- ChloéAh, ils sont très élevés pour ce site.Ah, they are very high for this site.
- LucasOn devrait chercher un autre vendeur alors.We should look for another seller then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shipping” translations and entries frais de port, transport, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, frais, livraison, port, transport, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
