tuile
/tɥil/feminine
In French, the English word 'tile' can be translated as tuile or carreau (de carrelage).
Meaning: sheet of ceramic or fired clay to cover surfaces (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tuile | /tɥil/ | feminine |
| carreau (de carrelage) | masculine |
Use carreau or carreau de carrelage when referring to tiles used for floors or walls. Additionally, the word carrelage refers to the collective tiling or the tiled surface itself.
Which one should you use?
Dalle is a formal term used to refer to large tiles, particularly those used for outdoor paving or flooring in public spaces.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
carreau (de carrelage) is a masculine noun, while tuile is a feminine noun. The related verb tuiler means to cover with tiles.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɥil/
Did you know?
- In French slang, the word tuile is used to describe a sudden piece of bad luck or a mishap, such as saying 'Quelle tuile!' when something goes wrong.
- In a culinary context, a tuile is a thin, curved, crisp wafer cookie designed to look like a roof tile.
- In French, a 'carreau' can also refer to a specific type of projectile or 'bolt' used in a crossbow, rather than a physical tile.
Examples in context
- Cette maison a un toit en tuiles d'argile.This house has a clay tile roof.This sentence shows how to use tuile to describe a clay tile roof.Tatoeba #11247849 by lbdx, translation #5822181 by Hybrid
- La tuile qui est tombée du toit s'est cassée en morceaux.The tile that fell from the roof broke into pieces.This sentence demonstrates the use of tuile regarding a tile falling from a roof.Tatoeba #135852 by hortusdei, translation #25592 by hcbowman
- Je voudrais acheter des carreaux pour la salle de bains.I would like to buy tiles for the bathroom.
- Nous devons remplacer la dalle défectueuse du trottoir.We need to replace the faulty paving tile on the sidewalk.
- Les tomettes en terre cuite donnent du charme à cette maison provençale.The terracotta tiles add charm to this Provençal house.
- Il manque une tuile sur le toit.There is a tile missing from the roof.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are looking at their new house.
- LéaRegarde, une tuile est cassée ici.Look, a tile is broken here.
- NathanOh non, c'est vraiment dommage.Oh no, that's a real shame.
- LéaJe vais acheter une nouvelle tuile demain.I will buy a new tile tomorrow.
- NathanD'accord, je t'aiderai à la poser.Okay, I will help you put it on.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tile” translations and entries tuile, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
