train
/tʁɛ̃/masculine
In French, the English phrase 'train' is translated as train. If unsure, use train. Wiktionary also lists rame.
Meaning: line of connected cars or carriages (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| train | /tʁɛ̃/ | masculine |
| rame | /ʁam/ | feminine |
The word train refers to a line of connected cars or carriages. When expressing the mode of transport, use the preposition en with the word, as in en train (by train). Related terms you might encounter include wagon (carriage), billet (ticket) and horaires (timetable).
Which one should you use?
While train refers to the whole transport service or the concept of the train, rame is used specifically in a technical sense to refer to the physical consist or the set of connected carriages.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word train is a masculine noun. The alternative form rame is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʁɛ̃/
Did you know?
- In French, you say en train to mean 'by train', but the phrase être en train de is an idiom meaning 'to be in the middle of doing something'.
- The word rame shares a linguistic root with the verb ramer, which means 'to row' a boat.
- The phrase en train is used in the expression prendre le train en marche, which means to join a project or conversation that has already started.
Examples in context
- Où va ce train ?Where's this train bound for?This sentence is useful for asking about the destination of a train.Tatoeba #607731 by qdii, translation #57709 by sundown
- Où va ce train ?Where is this train going?Tatoeba #1449700 by martin9, translation #364398 by human600
- On y va en train.We are going by train.This sentence is useful for expressing the mode of transport using train.Tatoeba #10511529 by lbdx, translation #2706681 by CC
- Le train pour Paris part dans cinq minutes.The train to Paris leaves in five minutes.
- On peut prendre le train pour aller à la plage.We can take the train to go to the beach.
- Je préfère prendre le TGV pour arriver plus rapidement.I prefer taking the TGV to arrive more quickly.
- Le train arrive à l'heure.The train arrives on time.
- Un train à grande vitesse est très confortable.A high-speed train is very comfortable.
- Je prends le train tous les jours pour aller au travail.I take the train every day to go to work.
- Nous attendons le train depuis vingt minutes.We have been waiting for the train for twenty minutes.
- 1031 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are waiting on a railway platform.
- NathanEst-ce que le train arrive bientôt ?Is the train arriving soon?
- LéaOui, je le vois arriver maintenant.Yes, I see it arriving now.
- NathanC'est un train très long aujourd'hui !It's a very long train today!
- LéaOn devrait monter dans le dernier wagon.We should get into the last carriage.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “train” translations and entries train, rame, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rame, train, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
