ventouse
/vɑ̃.tuz/
The English phrase 'toilet plunger' is ventouse in French.
In a household context, ventouse is the standard term used for a toilet plunger.
Which one should you use?
The formal term for toilet plunger is déboucheur de toilettes.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so you use the article une when referring to one plunger.
How do you pronounce it?
/vɑ̃.tuz/
Did you know?
- The related word ventôse is actually the name of a month in the original French Republican Calendar used during the French Revolution.
- In a biological context, ventouse refers to the suction organs of animals like octopuses or leeches.
- While ventouse is common, a professional plumber might use the term furet to describe a plumbing snake, which translates literally as 'ferret'.
Examples in context
- As-tu une ventouse que je pourrais emprunter ?Do you have a toilet plunger I could borrow?This sentence is useful for asking to borrow a ventouse.Tatoeba #9206139 by Micsmithel, translation #3419999 by CK
- Excusez-moi, auriez-vous un déboucheur de toilettes s'il vous plaît? J'ai un petit souci.Excuse me, do you have a toilet plunger, please? I have a small issue.
- Où est la ventouse pour la salle de bain ?Where is the plunger for the bathroom?
- Il faut acheter une nouvelle ventouse.We need to buy a new plunger.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are in their apartment after a plumbing issue.
- LéaNathan, est-ce que tu as une ventouse ?Nathan, do you have a plunger?
- NathanNon, je ne trouve pas la ventouse.No, I cannot find the plunger.
- LéaElle devrait être sous l'évier.It should be under the sink.
- NathanAh, je l'ai trouvée !Ah, I found it!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ventouse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
