gaspillage
/ɡas.pi.jaʒ/
The English word 'waste' is translated into French as gaspillage.
gaspillage is used specifically to describe the inefficient or thoughtless use of resources, such as food, time or money.
Meaning: useless by-products, garbage (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between gaspillage and déchets. While gaspillage refers to the act or the result of wasting a resource, déchets is used to refer to physical garbage or refuse.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the noun rebut is used to describe waste materials.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun gaspillage is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡas.pi.jaʒ/
Did you know?
- In France, the term gaspillage alimentaire is so prominent that laws were passed to forbid supermarkets from throwing away unsold edible food.
- The verb gaspiller is related to the Old French word gaspiller, which meant 'to scatter' or 'to sprinkle'.
- When a French speaker talks about 'wasting' an opportunity, they often use the verb gâcher, such as in the phrase gâcher une chance.
Examples in context
- Quel gaspillage d'eau !What a waste of water!Tatoeba #351411 by Barbiche0, translation #24945 by CK
- Quel gaspillage d'argent !What a waste of money!Tatoeba #6322003 by Aiji, translation #3281654 by CK
- Il s'agit d'un gaspillage.It's a waste.Tatoeba #7699841 by sacredceltic, translation #2249010 by CK
- Jetez vos déchets dans la poubelle appropriée.Dispose of your waste in the appropriate bin.
- Il faut éviter le gaspillage de nourriture.We must avoid food waste.
- Ne perdez pas votre temps précieux.Don't waste your precious time.
- C'est un gâchis de jeter ces belles fleurs.It's a waste to throw away these beautiful flowers.
- Ta procrastination est une perte de temps.Your procrastination is a waste of time.
- Jette ça dans la poubelle des déchets / des rebuts.Throw that in the trash.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are discussing a new recycling policy at their office.
- LucasIl y a trop de gaspillage dans ce bureau.There is too much waste in this office.
- EmmaTu as raison, Lucas, on jette trop de papier.You are right, Lucas, we throw away too much paper.
- LucasNous devons trouver une solution rapidement.We must find a solution quickly.
- EmmaJe vais proposer un plan de tri demain.I will propose a sorting plan tomorrow.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gaspillage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gaspillage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
