Vocabulary related to tools in French

In our day to day lives, to solve various problems we require different kinds of tools. Can you name a few tools in French? If not, this article is for you. 

We bring to you names of different tools in French. So if ever you do decide to stay in France, knowing these tool names will help you. Let’s see what they are.

1. le marteau

Meaning: a tool consisting of a piece of metal with a flat end that is fixed onto the end of a long, thin, usually wooden handle, used for hitting things

English: hammer

Example: Le marteau était trop lourd pour qu’elle puisse le ramasser. (The hammer was too heavy for her to pick.)

2. le tournevis

Meaning: a tool for turning screws, consisting of a handle joined to a metal rod shaped at one end to fit in the cut in the top of the screw

English: screwdriver

Example:Vous aurez besoin d’un tournevis pour assembler votre étagère. (You will need a screwdriver to assemble your bookshelf.)

3. le couteau

Meaning: a tool or weapon used for cutting, usually consisting of a metal blade and a handle

English: knife

Example: Ils ont essayé d’aiguiser le couteau émoussé avec une pierre. (They tried to sharpen the blunt knife with a stone.)

4. la vis 

Meaning: a thin, pointed piece of metal with a raised edge twisting round along its length and a flat top with a cut in it, used to join things together, especially pieces of wood

English: screw

Example: La vis était si serrée qu’elle ne bougeait pas. (The screw was so tight that it wouldn’t move.)

5. l’écrou 

Meaning :a small piece of metal with a hole in it through which you put a bolt

English: nut

Example: Utilisez une clé pour desserrer l’écrou. (Use a wrench to loosen the nut.)

6. la scie égoïne

Meaning :a tool that has a long or round blade with sharp points, for cutting hard materials such as wood that is operated by hand

English: handsaw

Example: Au centre commercial, ma femme et moi avons ramassé des articles de quincaillerie, y compris une scie égoïne. (At the mall, my wife and I picked up some hardware items, including a handsaw.)

7. le fer à soudre

Meaning: a tool that you use for heating solder

English: soldering iron

Example: Peut-on utiliser un fer à souder pour monter le condensateur du trimmer? (Can we use a soldering iron to mount the trimmer capacitor?)

8. le mètre 

Meaning: a strip of plastic or metal used for measuring that can be rolled up when not being used

English: tape measure

Example: Utilisez un mètre pour mesurer les dimensions de la pièce. (Use a tape measure to measure the dimensions of the room.)

9. la clé 

Meaning : a metal tool with a shaped end, used to turn nuts and bolts

English: spanner

Example: Elle veut une clé pour changer la roue. (She wants a spanner to change the wheel.)

10. la douille 

Meaning: a hollow or curved part into which something fits

English: socket

Example:L’ampoule se visse facilement dans une douille. (The bulb screwed easily into a socket.)

11. le joint

Meaning :a flat ring of metal, rubber, or plastic that is put somewhere, especially between a screw or bolt and a surface, or between joined pipes, in order to make a better connection between them

English: washer

Example: Assurez-vous que le joint est bien en place avant de serrer le tuyau.( Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe.)

12. le ventouse 

Meaning: a suction device consisting of a cup-shaped piece of rubber on the end of a stick, used to get rid of things that are blocking pipes

English: plunger

Example: Avez-vous une ventouse d’évier?(Do you have a sink plunger?)  

13. l’alésoir 

Meaning: a tool used to make holes larger or an exact size

English: reamer

Example:J’ai trouvé un alésoir très utile pour agrandir le trou à la bonne taille. (I found a reamer to be very useful for enlarging the hole to the correct size.) 

14. le clou 

Meaning: a small, thin piece of metal with one pointed end and one flat end that you hit into something with a hammer, especially in order to fasten or join it to something else

English: nail

Example: Sejal a endommagé la scie sur un clou.(Sejal damaged the saw on a nail.)

I hope you enjoyed learning different tools in French. The next time you need to talk about tools use these French words. For more such vocabulary, keep reading our blog. You can easily learn French online with us. Stay tuned for more interesting blogs.