vocabulaire
/vɔ.ka.by.lɛʁ/masculine
The English phrase "vocabulary" can be translated into French as vocabulaire. Wiktionary also lists lexique.
Meaning: set of words a person knows (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vocabulaire | /vɔ.ka.by.lɛʁ/ | masculine |
| lexique | /lɛk.sik/ | feminine |
The term refers to the set of words a person knows. For specific contexts, you might use other terms: les termes refers to vocabulary within a specific field or profession and le jargon can be used informally to describe vocabulary related to a particular group or activity.
Which one should you use?
While vocabulaire refers to the set of words known by a person, lexique is a more formal term, often used in linguistics, to refer to the entire set of words in a language or a specific field.
How does it change in a sentence?
vocabulaire is a masculine noun, meaning that adjectives describing it must be in the masculine form, such as un vaste vocabulaire.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /vɔ.ka.by.lɛʁ/.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'vocabulary' for both people and subjects, a French speaker might use bagage linguistique to describe the 'linguistic baggage' or the total sum of words a person has acquired.
- French has a specific term vocabulaire actif for words a person can produce and vocabulaire passif for words they only understand when heard.
- In French, the word jargon is often used with a negative connotation to imply that a person's vocabulary is intentionally confusing or pretentious.
Examples in context
- Tom a un incroyable vocabulaire.Tom has an incredible vocabulary.This sentence is useful for describing someone's vocabulary using vocabulaire.Tatoeba #6887647 by GB3, translation #6887282 by Eccles17
- Son vocabulaire est assez limité.His vocabulary is rather limited.Tatoeba #9557284 by Julien_PDC, translation #10501989 by AlanF_US
- Je veux enrichir mon vocabulaire.I want to build up my vocabulary.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire to expand one's vocabulary using vocabulaire.Tatoeba #12470644 by lbdx, translation #257343 by CM
- J'ai étudié le lexique de la biologie avant l'examen.I studied the biology vocabulary before the exam.
- J'ai regardé mes cours et révisé le vocab avant le contrôle.I looked at my notes and reviewed the vocab before the quiz.
- 45 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are discussing their language learning progress.
- EmmaJe trouve que ton vocabulaire s'améliore beaucoup.I find that your vocabulary is improving a lot.
- GabrielMerci, mais je manque encore de vocabulaire technique.Thanks, but I still lack technical vocabulary.
- EmmaC'est normal au début, Gabriel.That's normal at the beginning, Gabriel.
- GabrielOui, je vais lire plus pour apprendre.Yes, I will read more to learn.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “vocabulary” translations and entries vocabulaire, lexique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
