gilet
/ʒi.lɛ/masculine
The French word for vest is gilet.
gilet is the standard term for a garment worn over a shirt. This includes general clothing as well as technical or protective equipment, such as a gilet pare-balles (bulletproof vest).
Meaning: garment worn over a shirt (noun)
Which one should you use?
While gilet is the general term, Gilet de costume refers specifically to a waistcoat or dress vest used in formal men's attire. Additionally, Boléro can be used to describe a short vest-like garment often worn by women for formal occasions.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word gilet is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒi.lɛ/
Did you know?
- The word gilet is the centerpiece of the 'Gilets Jaunes' (Yellow Vests) protest movement that began in France in 2018.
- The word gilet traces back to the Turkish word yelek, which originally comes from a root meaning 'wind'.
- A gilet is often used in French to describe a safety vest, such as the high-visibility 'gilet de sécurité' that drivers must keep in their cars.
Examples in context
- Il porte un gilet jaune.He's wearing a yellow vest.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe the color of a gilet.Tatoeba #9984661 by Julien_PDC, translation #10173593 by ddnktr
- Elle lui a acheté un gilet.She bought him a vest.This sentence shows the use of gilet when talking about a gift.Tatoeba #8483314 by Aiji, translation #4968752 by AlanF_US
- La policière portait un gilet pare-balles.The police officer wore a bulletproof vest.This sentence demonstrates the use of gilet in a technical or protective context.Tatoeba #12466925 by lbdx, translation #686100 by CK
- Je dois porter un gilet de costume pour la réunion demain.I have to wear a dress vest for the meeting tomorrow.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are shopping for clothes in a boutique.
- GabrielEst-ce que ce gilet te plaît ?Do you like this vest?
- ManonOui, il est parfait pour toi.Yes, it is perfect for you.
- GabrielIl est un peu serré.It is a little tight.
- ManonPrends une taille au-dessus, Gabriel.Take one size up, Gabriel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vest” translations and entries gilet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gilet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
