Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| camionneur | /ka.mjɔ.nœʁ/ | masculine |
| chauffeur de camion | masculine | |
| routier | /ʁu.tje/ | masculine |
All three terms refer to a person employed to drive a truck. routier can also function as an adjective to describe things related to highways or long-distance trucking.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase chauffeur de camion literally translates to "driver of truck", consisting of chauffeur (driver) and de camion (of truck).
Which one should you use?
routier is a more colloquial or shorthand way to refer to a truck driver compared to the more descriptive chauffeur de camion.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québécois French, the term chauffeur de camion is used frequently.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine forms provided are camionneur, routier and chauffeur de camion. If you are referring to a female truck driver, the feminine form of camionneur is camionneuse.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.mjɔ.nœʁ/
Did you know?
- The word chauffeur originally meant someone who 'warms up' or 'heats up' a machine, an idea stemming from the early days of steam engines.
- In France, the culture of the routier is often romanticized in folk songs and cinema as a symbol of solitude and freedom on the open road.
- The term routier can describe not just the person driving the truck, but also the specialized roadside inns and restaurants that cater to them.
Examples in context
- Tom était un routier avant.Tom used to be a truck driver.This sentence is useful for describing someone's past profession using routier.Tatoeba #7552615 by tras, translation #7544307 by CK
- Je suis un chauffeur de camion.I'm a truck driver.This sentence is useful for stating your own profession using chauffeur de camion.Tatoeba #6472977 by nimfeo, translation #1816465 by CM
- Tu es chauffeur de camion, n’est-ce pas ?You're a truck driver, aren't you?This sentence is useful for asking a question about someone's profession using chauffeur de camion.Tatoeba #10029633 by Rovo, translation #6252285 by CK
- Tu connais un bon camionneur dans la région ?Do you know a good trucker in the area?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are talking about Gabriel's father's profession.
- GabrielMon père est camionneur depuis vingt ans.My father has been a truck driver for twenty years.
- EmmaC'est un métier difficile, n'est-ce pas ?It's a difficult job, isn't it?
- GabrielOui, le travail de camionneur est épuisant.Yes, the work of a truck driver is exhausting.
- EmmaIl doit beaucoup voyager.He must travel a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “truck driver” translations and entries camionneur, routier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries camion, camionneur, chauffeur, de, routier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
