parapluie
/pa.ʁa.plɥi/masculine
The French word for umbrella is parapluie. Wiktionary also lists parasol and ombrelle.
Meaning: cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| parapluie | /pa.ʁa.plɥi/ /pa.ʁa.plwi/ (Belgium) |
masculine |
| parasol | /pa.ʁa.sɔl/ | masculine |
| ombrelle | /ɔ̃.bʁɛl/ | feminine |
The term refers to a cloth-covered frame used for protection against rain or sun.
What does it mean word for word?
The word parapluie is a compound of para (protect against) and pluie (rain).
Which one should you use?
Use parapluie for protection against rain, whereas parasol is used for protection against the sun. While parasol is a general term for a sunshade, ombrelle specifically refers to a small, often decorative, lady's sunshade.
How does it change in a sentence?
Parapluie is a masculine noun, so it takes the masculine articles un or le. In contrast, ombrelle is feminine, so it takes the feminine articles une or la. The plural form of parapluie is parapluies.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /pa.ʁa.plɥi/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- While parapluie describes the object, the French also use the verb parer to mean 'to ward off' or 'to block' a blow in fencing.
- The word parasol is a direct borrowing from Italian, rather than being a native French construction like parapluie.
- The prefix para- in parapluie is a very common way in French to indicate prevention or protection against something, such as in paratonnerre for a lightning rod.
Examples in context
- Tom a mon parapluie.Tom has my umbrella.This sentence shows how to express possession with parapluie.Tatoeba #10280795 by Micsmithel, translation #4667089 by CK
- Où est le parapluie ?Where is the umbrella?This sentence is used to ask for the location of an parapluie.Tatoeba #6779028 by felix63, translation #6791141 by Eccles17
- Est-ce ton parapluie ?Is this your umbrella?This sentence is a way to ask if an parapluie belongs to someone.Tatoeba #341321 by TRANG, translation #55984 by CK
- Je vais prendre mon parapluieI'm going to take my umbrella
- J'ai acheté un parapluie. Le parapluie est bleuI bought an umbrella. The umbrella is blue
- J'ai deux parapluiesI have two umbrellas
- 340 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are leaving a cafe as it starts to rain.
- HugoRegarde, il commence à pleuvoir !Look, it's starting to rain!
- LéaHeureusement, j'ai un parapluie.Luckily, I have an umbrella.
- HugoTu peux me prêter ton parapluie ?Can you lend me your umbrella?
- LéaOui, on peut marcher ensemble.Yes, we can walk together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “umbrella” translations and entries parapluie, parasol, ombrelle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ombrelle, parapluie, parasol, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
