goudron
/ɡu.dʁɔ̃/masculine
The French word for "tar" is goudron.
Meaning: substance (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine. The related verb form meaning to tar or to pave with tar is goudronner.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /ɡu.dʁɔ̃/.
Did you know?
- The word goudron descends from the Arabic word qaṭrān. It traveled through Medieval Latin and Old French before arriving at its modern form.
- In French, the word goudron is used in the expression être goudronné et plumé, which means to be tarred and feathered.
- While goudron refers to the substance, the French use the specific term bitume for the natural asphalt found in geological deposits.
Examples in context
- La route était goudronnée.The road was paved with tar.This sentence is useful for describing a road that has been paved with goudron.Tatoeba #10319869 by lbdx, translation #9528443 by CK
- Le goudron ne partira pas. Je vais devoir emmener cette jupe chez le teinturier.The tar won't come off. I'm going to have to take this skirt to the dry cleaner.This sentence is useful for discussing the difficulty of removing goudron from clothing.Tatoeba #10366527 by lbdx, translation #41242 by papabear
- Combien est-ce que ça coute pour qu'un dentiste enlève le goudron dû à la cigarette déposé sur les dents ?About how much does it cost to have a dentist remove cigarette tar from your teeth?This sentence is useful for asking about the cost of removing cigarette goudron from teeth.Tatoeba #425723 by Scott, translation #329698 by fcbond
- Les ouvriers utilisent du goudron pour refaire la chaussée.The workers use tar to repair the road.
- Le brai est utilisé dans la construction navale pour calfeutrer les jointures du bois.Tar is used in boatbuilding to seal the wood joints.
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are walking down a street under construction.
- ManonAttention, il y a du goudron frais sur le trottoir.Watch out, there is fresh tar on the sidewalk.
- HugoOh, j'espère que mes chaussures ne vont pas s'abîmer.Oh, I hope my shoes won't get damaged.
- ManonÉvite de marcher dessus, Hugo.Avoid walking on it, Hugo.
- HugoD'accord, je fais attention.Okay, I'll be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tar” translations and entries goudron, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries goudron, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
