French Driving Vocabulary
Useful vocabulary for driving in France
If you're going to drive in France, there's some special vocabulary you need to know. Also see phrases for renting a car.
| French | English | Notes |
| un accélérateur | gas pedal | |
| à droite | to the right | |
| à gauche | to the left | |
| une auto | car | apocope of automobile |
| une autoroute | highway | |
| l'auto-stop (m) | hitchhiking | faire de l'auto-stop - to hitchhike |
| une bicyclette | bicycle | |
| la boîte manuelle | stick shift | |
| un champignon | accelerator | informal |
| circuler | to go, move | in reference to cars and traffic |
| le clignotant | turn signal | |
| un conducteur | driver | false cognate of conductor |
| conduire | to drive | |
| doubler | to pass | |
| un embouteillage | traffic jam | |
| en panne | broken-down | être/tomber en panne - to break down |
| en route | on the way | French expressions in English |
| de l'essence (f) | gas, petrol | |
| essence ordinaire | regular gas | du super - premium gas |
| les essuie-glaces | windshield wipers | |
| une excursion | trip | excursionner - to go on walks, trips |
| faire le plein | to fill it up | (with gas/petrol) |
| le feu rouge | stop light | le feu vert - green light |
| les feux de route | high beams | |
| le feux de stop | brake lights | |
| les freins | brakes | |
| le gasoil, gazole | diesel | |
| un permis de conduire | driver's license | |
| une moto | motorbike | apocope of motocyclette |
| un pare-brise | windshield | |
| un péage | toll | une autoroute à péage - toll road |
| les phares | headlights | |
| rouler | to drive | |
| la rue | street | |
| une station-service | gas station | |
| stationner | to park | |
| tourner | to turn | |
| tout droit | straight ahead | |
| le transport | transportation | |
| traverser | to cross | |
| un vélo | bike | apocope of vélocipède (archaic) |
| une voiture | car | |
| le volant | steering wheel |
You are here: Learn French --> French for Beginners --> French Vocabulary --> Travel --> Transportation --> Driving --> Renting a Car
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