boîte à chaussures
feminine
The English phrase "shoebox" is translated into French as boîte à chaussures.
The term boîte à chaussures refers to a box in which shoes are sold.
Meaning: box in which shoes are sold (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of boîte (box) and the prepositional phrase à chaussures (for shoes).
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun boîte is feminine, so any accompanying adjectives must also be in the feminine form.
Did you know?
- While boîte à chaussures is the literal term, French speakers often use boîte alone to mean 'company' or 'firm' in a professional context.
- In modern French slang, la boîte is a very common way to refer to a 'nightclub'.
- The word boîte shares an unexpected ancestor with the English word 'box' through the Latin word 'buxus', which refers to the 'box tree'.
Examples in context
- J'ai rangé mes chaussures dans une boîte à chaussures.I stored my shoes in a shoebox.
- J'ai trouvé mes baskets dans la boîte à pompes.I found my sneakers in the shoebox.
- Elle a rangé ses sandales dans une boîte à chaussures.She put her sandals in a shoebox.
- Elle a trouvé une vieille boîte à chaussures.She found an old shoebox.
- Range tes baskets dans cette boîte à chaussures.Put your sneakers in this shoebox.
- Il me faut une boîte à chaussures vide.I need an empty shoebox.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are organizing their closet.
- LucasOù est la boîte à chaussures pour mes baskets ?Where is the shoebox for my sneakers?
- LéaElle est juste là, sous le lit, Lucas.It is right there, under the bed, Lucas.
- LucasAh, je la vois enfin. Merci, Léa !Ah, I see it finally. Thanks, Léa!
- LéaDe rien, range tes affaires maintenant.You're welcome, tidy your things now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “shoebox” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries boîte, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
