trottoir
/tʁɔ.twaʁ/masculine
The English phrase "sidewalk" is translated into French as trottoir.
trottoir is a masculine noun used to refer to a paved footpath.
Meaning: paved footpath (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural "sidewalks", add an s to the end of the word to form trottoirs.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /tʁɔ.twaʁ/.
Did you know?
- In French slang, the phrase être sur le trottoir can be a euphemism for being unemployed or, more historically, for working as a street walker.
- The word trottoir comes from the verb trotter, meaning 'to trot'. It originally described a place where one could walk at a steady pace without the interference of horses and carriages.
- In some Francophone regions, particularly in parts of Canada, you may encounter the word cotte-bordure to describe the concrete edge or curb of the trottoir.
Examples in context
- Le trottoir est glissant.The sidewalk is slippery.This sentence is useful for describing the current state of the trottoir.Tatoeba #9965806 by felix63, translation #6354957 by CK
- Le trottoir était glissant.The sidewalk was slippery.This sentence is useful for describing a past state of the trottoir.Tatoeba #11900839 by zogwarg, translation #11900773 by CK
- Le trottoir est encore un peu glissant.The sidewalk is still a bit slippery.This sentence is useful for noting that the trottoir remains somewhat slippery.Tatoeba #11589927 by Aiji, translation #8513264 by CK
- Pouvez-vous me dire où se trouve le trottoir le plus proche?Can you tell me where the nearest sidewalk is?
- Je vais t'attendre là, au bord du trottoir.I'll wait for you there, at the edge of the sidewalk.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are walking in the city.
- ChloéOn marche sur le trottoir, Hugo.We are walking on the sidewalk, Hugo.
- HugoOui, c'est plus sûr pour nous.Yes, it is safer for us.
- ChloéRegarde, le trottoir est très large ici.Look, the sidewalk is very wide here.
- HugoC'est vrai, c'est agréable de marcher.That's true, it is nice to walk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sidewalk” translations and entries trottoir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries trottoir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
