télé
/te.le/feminine
The French word for TV is télé.
télé is an abbreviation for television.
Meaning: abbreviation for television (noun)
Which one should you use?
While télé is the common abbreviation used in daily life, the full word télévision is used in more formal contexts. If you are specifically referring to the physical TV set in a formal manner, you might use poste de télévision.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
télé is an informal, colloquial shortening used in everyday speech. For formal situations, use the full word télévision.
How does it change in a sentence?
télé is a feminine noun, so you must use the feminine article la when referring to the device (e.g., la télé).
How do you pronounce it?
/te.le/
Did you know?
- Historically, before télé became the dominant term, the poste part of poste de télévision referred to the radio receiver, as early TVs were seen as extensions of radio.
- While télé is the standard short form, some people use the slang term la boîte (meaning 'the box') to refer to the television set.
- When talking about channels, the word chaîne is used, which is the same word used for a physical metal chain.
Examples in context
- Ma télé est cassée.My TV is broken.This sentence is useful for describing the state of your TV using télé.Tatoeba #1072168 by sacredceltic, translation #1176297 by paula_guisard
- La télé est cassée.The TV is broken.Tatoeba #4080580 by sbamsbamsbam, translation #4079239 by CK
- J'ai allumé la télé.I turned on the TV.This sentence is useful for describing the action of turning on the TV using télé.Tatoeba #8114492 by Aiji, translation #5858304 by CK
- Je regarde la télévision ce soirI'm watching TV tonight
- On a acheté un nouveau poste de télévision pour le salonWe bought a new TV set for the living room
- Je vais regarder la téléI'm going to watch TV
- Je trouve que la télévision joue un rôle important dans l'éducation des enfants.I believe that TV plays an important role in children's education.
- Viens, on se fait une soirée télé ce soir!Come on, let's have a TV night tonight!
- J'ai besoin d'un écran plus grand pour profiter de mes séries préférées.I need a bigger TV screen to enjoy my favorite shows.
- 583 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are in the living room in the evening.
- GabrielManon, tu veux regarder la télé ?Manon, do you want to watch TV?
- ManonOui, mais la télé est trop forte.Yes, but the TV is too loud.
- GabrielD'accord, je baisse le son.Okay, I'll turn down the volume.
- ManonMerci, Gabriel.Thanks, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tv” translations and entries télé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
