camion
/ka.mjɔ̃/masculine
The French word for truck is camion.
camion refers to a heavy motor vehicle designed to carry goods. To specify the type of vehicle, you can use the construction camion de [type], such as camion de pompiers for a fire truck. If you wish to express the action of driving a truck, use the phrase conduire un camion.
Meaning: heavier motor vehicle designed to carry goods (noun)
Which one should you use?
While camion refers to a large heavy vehicle, the word camionnette is used to describe smaller vehicles like a pickup truck or a small van.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
camion is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.mjɔ̃/
Did you know?
- While camion is the standard term, French speakers in Quebec often use truck as a loanword in casual conversation.
- The word camion might share a distant ancestor with the Greek word for a 'crane' or 'windlass', a machine used to drag heavy objects from the ground.
- French distinguishes between a camion and a poids lourd, where the latter literally means 'heavy weight' and is used as a formal category for heavy-duty vehicles.
Examples in context
- Sors du camion !Get out of the truck.This sentence is useful for telling someone to exit a camion.Tatoeba #4550798 by sacredceltic, translation #2886574 by CK
- Quel gros camion !What a big truck!This sentence is an exclamation about the size of a camion.Tatoeba #1927890 by sacredceltic, translation #1913096 by CK
- Il a un gros camion.He has a big truck.This sentence describes someone possessing a large camion.Tatoeba #4714449 by sacredceltic, translation #2256829 by Hybrid
- Un camion de livraisonA delivery truck
- Je conduis une camionnette de locationI am driving a rental van
- Le chauffeur conduit un poids lourdThe driver is driving a heavy-duty truck
- Je dois louer une camionnette pour déménager mes meubles.I need to rent a truck to move my furniture.
- Le camion de livraison est arrivé en retard.The delivery truck arrived late.
- Ne prends pas cette petite route, c'est réservé aux poids lourds.Don't take this small road, it's reserved for heavy-duty trucks.
- 161 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are watching a delivery vehicle park on the street.
- HugoLe camion arrive pour la livraison.The truck is arriving for the delivery.
- ManonC'est un très grand camion, non ?It's a very large truck, isn't it?
- HugoOui, il peut transporter beaucoup de choses.Yes, it can carry a lot of things.
- ManonJ'espère qu'il ne bloque pas la route.I hope it is not blocking the road.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “truck” translations and entries camion, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries camion, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
