bois
/bwa/
The French phrase for woods is bois.
The word bois is used to refer to a collection of trees, such as the woods.
Which one should you use?
While bois refers to woods, the word forêt is used when referring to a larger, more extensive forest. Additionally, bois can mean both the collection of trees and the material 'wood'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In specific rural regions of France, les taillis may be used to refer to densely packed young trees.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the material 'wood' in a general sense, the singular form le bois is used.
How do you pronounce it?
/bwa/
Did you know?
- In French, the word bois can also be a conjugated form of the verb boire, meaning 'I drink' or 'you drink'.
- The word bois is an unexpected relative of the English word 'bush'. Both descend from the same Proto-Germanic root meaning a shrub or a thicket.
- The term bois is used in the name of the 'Bois de Boulogne', a famous park in Paris that creates a linguistic irony because it is now a manicured urban space rather than a wild wood.
Examples in context
- Je suis dans les bois.I'm in the woods.Tatoeba #11664570 by Aiji, translation #11628714 by CK
- Les bois sont ma maison.The woods are my home.Tatoeba #4533194 by Whidou, translation #269492 by sundown
- Il vit seul dans les bois.He lives alone in the woods.Tatoeba #901706 by sacredceltic, translation #1477944 by CK
- J'aime me promener dans la forêt chaque matin.I enjoy taking a walk in the woods every morning.
- Nous avons installé notre tente au bord des bois.We set up our tent at the edge of the woods.
- On s'est perdu dans les bois pendant notre balade.We got lost in the woods during our walk.
- Je me sens apaisé lorsque je m'aventure dans la forêt profonde.I feel at peace when I venture into the deep woods.
- Les taillis sont propices à la balade et à la cueillette de champignons.The woods are perfect for walks and mushroom picking.
- 75 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are planning a weekend hike.
- HugoOn va se promener dans les bois ?Shall we go for a walk in the woods?
- ChloéOui, c'est une bonne idée, Hugo.Yes, that is a good idea, Hugo.
- HugoEst-ce que les bois sont loin d'ici ?Are the woods far from here?
- ChloéNon, ils sont juste à côté du village.No, they are just next to the village.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bois, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bois, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
