coffre-fort
/kɔ.fʁə.fɔʁ/
The English word 'vault' translates to French as coffre-fort.
Use coffre-fort when you are referring to a secure area or a physical object used for storing valuables. If you are instead referring to the architectural element of a vaulted ceiling or a vaulted structure, use voûte.
Meaning: secure area for valuables (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term coffre-fort literally translates to 'strong box', where coffre means box or chest and fort means strong.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /kɔ.fʁə.fɔʁ/.
Did you know?
- In French, the word coffre refers to both a 'strongbox' and a car 'trunk'. Because of this, saying you are putting something in the coffre without specifying fort usually means you are loading your car.
- French uses the word coffre to describe the chest of a person's body. If a singer has a gros coffre, it means they have a powerful and resonant voice.
- In French, if you want to say you are 'keeping a secret', you might say you are keeping it 'sous clé', which literally means 'under key', a concept often physically associated with a coffre-fort.
Examples in context
- La voûte de la cathédrale est magnifique.The vault of the cathedral is magnificent.
- Je garde mes objets de valeur dans un coffre-fort.I keep my valuable items in a safe.
- Les voûtes de ce bâtiment médiéval sont impressionnantes.The vaults of this medieval building are impressive.
- Le coffre-fort est dans le bureau.The vault is in the office.
- Elle cache ses bijoux dans un coffre-fort.She hides her jewelry in a vault.
- Où se trouve le coffre-fort de la banque ?Where is the bank's vault?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing home security.
- GabrielAs-tu acheté un coffre-fort pour la maison ?Did you buy a vault for the house?
- EmmaOui, il est déjà installé dans la chambre.Yes, it is already installed in the bedroom.
- GabrielC'est une excellente idée pour protéger tes bijoux.It is an excellent idea to protect your jewelry.
- EmmaJe me sens beaucoup plus en sécurité maintenant.I feel much safer now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry coffre-fort, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
