Vocabulary of Computers and Internet in French

With everything going digital, I’m sure you’re always online. Do you know words related to computers and internet in French? Learn to use them correctly and speak in French like a native. 

1. Le câble 

Meaning: a set of covered wires or fibres that electrical or electronic signals travel through

English: cable

Example: Pourquoi y a-t-il autant de câbles autour de votre ordinateur? (Why are there so many cables around your computer?)

2. Le processeur

Meaning: central processing unit: the part of a computer that controls all the other parts

English:CPU

Example: Le processeur de son ordinateur ne s’allume pas.(The CPU of her computer is not switching on.)

3. Le clique

Meaning: to carry out a computer operation by pressing a button on the mouse or keyboard

English:click of the mouse

Example: Cliquez sur «commencer» pour commencer à regarder votre film. (Click on ‘start’ to start watching your movie.)

4. Le curseur

Meaning:a line on a computer screen that moves to show the point where work is being done

English:cursor 

Example: Mon curseur s’est arrêté au milieu de l’écran.(My cursor has stopped in the middle of the screen.)

5.Couper/Copier/Coller

Meaning :In human–computer interaction and user interface design, cut, copy, and paste are related commands that offer an interprocess communication technique for transferring data through a computer’s user interface.

English: cut/copy/paste

Example: Son seul travail est de couper / copier / coller d’un dossier à un autre. (His only job is to cut/copy/paste from one folder to another.)

6.Déconnexion

Meaning: the act of logging out of a computer system (= stopping being connected to it)

English:disconnect/logout

Example: Je veux que vous vous déconnectiez maintenant et que vous commenciez à étudier. (I want you to logout now and start studying.)

7.Le téléchargement

Meaning: to copy or move programs or information into a computer’s memory, especially from the internet or a larger computer

English:download

Example: Le téléchargement a été interrompu car Internet a cessé de fonctionner. (The download was paused as the internet stopped working.)

8. e-mail 

Meaning the system for using computers to send messages over the internet

English:e-mail

Example: La rédaction d’e-mails professionnels est une tâche difficile. (Writing business emails is a difficult task.)

9.Le fichier

Meaning :information stored on a computer as one unit with one name

English:file

Example: Elle a accidentellement supprimé le fichier dans lequel ses photos de mariage ont été enregistrées. (She accidently deleted the file in which her wedding photos were saved.)

10.Le disque dur

Meaning: a device that is fixed inside a computer and is used to store programs and information

English:hard disk

Example: Les dossiers de l’élève seront stockés sur le disque dur de l’ordinateur. (The  student’s records will be stored on the computer’s hard disk.)

11.L’icône (m)

Meaning :a small picture or symbol on a computer screen that you point to and click on with a mouse to give the computer an instruction

English:icon

Example: Pouvez-vous agrandir les icônes pour que je puisse voir clairement les images?(Can you enlarge the icons so I can clearly see the images?)

12. Le micro-casque

Meaning: a set of headphones, especially one with a microphone attached to it

English:headset

Example: J’ai offert ses micro-casques car elle est une fan de jeux..(I gifted her headsets as she is a gaming fan.)  

13.Le lien

Meaning: a connection between documents on the internet

English: link

Example:La page ne se charge pas, le lien semble rompu. (The page isn’t loading, the link seems to be broken.) 

15.Connexion 

Meaning: a place on a screen that you click in order to start using a computer system

English:login

Example: Vous pouvez vous connecter à notre site quand vous le souhaitez. (You can login into our site whenever you like.)

16.La carte mère 

Meaning: the main printed circuit board that contains the CPU of a computer and makes it possible for the other parts of a computer to communicate with each other

English:motherboard

Example: Le modem intégré est une puce sur la carte mère utilisée principalement dans les ordinateurs portables.(The built-in modem is a chip on the motherboard used primarily in laptops.) 

17.Le mot de passe

Meaning: a secret word or combination of letters or numbers, that is used for communicating with another person or with a computer to prove who you are

English: password

Example: Il est recommandé d’ajouter des chiffres et des caractères à votre mot de passe pour le renforcer. (It’s recommended you add numbers and characters to your password to make it strong.)

18. La capture d’écran  

Meaning: an image of what is shown on a computer screen

English: screenshot

Example: Envoyez-nous une capture d’écran de votre ordinateur comme preuve de paiement. (Send us a screenshot of your computer as a proof of payment.)

Now that you have learnt the meanings of these words in French, be sure to use them while you talk about internet and computers in French. For more such vocabulary in French, keep following our blog.

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