gazon
/ɡa.zɔ̃/masculine
In French, the word for sod is gazon.
The term gazon refers specifically to the turf or the material of the sod grown for the establishment of a lawn.
Meaning: turf grown for establishment of lawn (noun)
Which one should you use?
While gazon refers to the physical material of the turf or sod, the word pelouse is more commonly used to describe the established lawn itself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word gazon is a masculine noun. Related to this is the verb gazonner, which means to cover an area with sod.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡa.zɔ̃/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- While the English word 'sod' can be used as a mild insult or an expletive, gazon is purely botanical. There is no linguistic connection in French between the word for turf and any slang terms for people.
- The word gazon has Germanic roots, descending from the Frankish word wasō meaning 'turf'.
- The verb gazonner specifically describes the act of laying down pre-grown sod to create an instant lawn, rather than the slower process of sowing seeds.
Examples in context
- Merde, j'ai oublié mon portefeuille !Sod it, I forgot my wallet!
- Zut, j'ai cassé mon téléphone !Sod it, I broke my phone!
- Il faut poser le gazon.The sod must be laid.
- Le jardinier a posé du gazon.The gardener laid down some sod.
- Nous avons besoin de gazon pour le jardin.We need some sod for the garden.
- Le nouveau gazon est très vert.The new sod is very green.
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing their garden renovation.
- LéaHugo, tu as acheté le gazon ?Hugo, did you buy the sod?
- HugoOui, je l'ai reçu ce matin.Yes, I received it this morning.
- LéaEst-ce qu'on peut le poser aujourd'hui ?Can we lay it down today?
- HugoOui, on commence dès maintenant.Yes, we are starting right now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sod” translations and entries gazon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gazon, CC BY-SA 4.0.
