Furniture in French: Essential Vocabulary Guide

Key takeaways

• The word for furniture in French is le meuble (singular) or les meubles (plural). A furnished apartment is un appartement meublé; unfurnished is non meublé.
• All French nouns are gendered, and furniture vocabulary is no exception: le canapé (sofa, masculine), la table (table, feminine), l’armoire (wardrobe, feminine). The article must match the gender of each noun.
• French home vocabulary is organized around room names: le salon (living room), la chambre (bedroom), la cuisine (kitchen), la salle de bain (bathroom), la salle à manger (dining room), le bureau (office/study).
• To describe where furniture is placed, French uses prepositions of location: sur (on), sous (under), à côté de (next to), devant (in front of), derrière (behind), entre (between).

Home vocabulary is essential for anyone living in, renting, or visiting France. Whether you are apartment hunting, describing your home to a French speaker, or understanding a French interior design article or real estate listing, knowing furniture names and how to describe a room is a fundamental practical skill.

Describing a home also means using prepositional phrases, adjectives, and room names together in real sentences, not just recalling isolated words. italki connects you with French teachers who can practice home description conversations with you, from describing your apartment to understanding a landlord’s questions.

This guide covers furniture vocabulary in French room by room: the living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, and study, plus describing furniture using color, size, and material, and useful phrases for talking about your home.

A French tutor can run a home description session with you, practicing how to describe each room in full sentences so this vocabulary is active and retrievable in real conversation.

Living room furniture in French

The living room is le salon or la salle de séjour.

French	Gender	English
le canapé	masculine	sofa / couch
le fauteuil	masculine	armchair
la table basse	feminine	coffee table
l’étagère (f)	feminine	bookshelf / shelving unit
la bibliothèque	feminine	bookcase
la télévision / la télé	feminine	television
le meuble TV	masculine	TV unit / TV cabinet
le tapis	masculine	rug / carpet
le rideau / les rideaux	masculine	curtain(s)
la lampe	feminine	lamp
le tableau	masculine	painting / picture
le coussin	masculine	cushion
la cheminée	feminine	fireplace
le miroir	masculine	mirror
la plante	feminine	plant

Common sentences:

• Le canapé est devant la télévision. (The sofa is in front of the television.)
• Il y a une lampe à côté du fauteuil. (There is a lamp next to the armchair.)
• Les rideaux sont bleus. (The curtains are blue.)

Bedroom furniture in French

The bedroom is la chambre or la chambre à coucher.

French	Gender	English
le lit	masculine	bed
le lit double	masculine	double bed
le lit simple	masculine	single bed
la tête de lit	feminine	headboard
l’oreiller (m)	masculine	pillow
la couverture	feminine	blanket
la couette	feminine	duvet / comforter
le drap	masculine	sheet
l’armoire (f)	feminine	wardrobe / armoire
la commode	feminine	chest of drawers
le tiroir	masculine	drawer
la table de chevet / la table de nuit	feminine	bedside table / nightstand
le bureau	masculine	desk
l’étagère (f)	feminine	shelf
le placard	masculine	built-in wardrobe / cupboard

A French language tutor can help you describe your bedroom setup, practice requesting specific furniture in a store, or understand French real estate listings that describe room contents.

Kitchen and dining room vocabulary

The kitchen is la cuisine. The dining room is la salle à manger.

French	Gender	English
la table	feminine	table
la chaise	feminine	chair
le réfrigérateur / le frigo	masculine	refrigerator / fridge
le congélateur	masculine	freezer
le four	masculine	oven
le micro-ondes	masculine	microwave
la cuisinière	feminine	stove / cooker
le lave-vaisselle	masculine	dishwasher
l’évier (m)	masculine	kitchen sink
le plan de travail	masculine	worktop / counter
le placard de cuisine	masculine	kitchen cupboard
le tiroir	masculine	drawer
la hotte	feminine	extractor hood / range hood

For how to ask about furniture availability, prices, and features in French stores, the guide to French question words covers the question structures used throughout shopping and home-related conversations.

Dining room:

French	Gender	English
la table à manger	feminine	dining table
la chaise de salle à manger	feminine	dining chair
le buffet	masculine	sideboard / buffet
la vitrine	feminine	display cabinet
le lustre	masculine	chandelier

Bathroom furniture in French

The bathroom is la salle de bain. The toilet room is often separate in French homes: les toilettes or le WC.

French	Gender	English
la baignoire	feminine	bathtub
la douche	feminine	shower
le lavabo	masculine	sink / washbasin
le miroir	masculine	mirror
le robinet	masculine	tap / faucet
le porte-serviettes	masculine	towel rail
la serviette	feminine	towel
l’armoire de toilette (f)	feminine	bathroom cabinet
le meuble de salle de bain	masculine	bathroom unit
les toilettes (f)	feminine (pl)	toilet
la chasse d’eau	feminine	toilet flush

Describing furniture and placement

Describing furniture with adjectives:

French	English	Example
grand(e)	large	un grand canapé (a large sofa)
petit(e)	small	une petite table (a small table)
moderne	modern	des meubles modernes (modern furniture)
ancien(ne)	old / antique	une armoire ancienne (an antique wardrobe)
confortable	comfortable	un fauteuil confortable (a comfortable armchair)
en bois	wooden	une table en bois (a wooden table)
en métal	metal	une étagère en métal (a metal shelf)

Placement expressions:

French	English
sur	on
sous	under
dans	in / inside
devant	in front of
derrière	behind
à côté de	next to
en face de	opposite
entre	between
au milieu de	in the middle of
au fond de	at the back of

Example sentences:

• La lampe est sur la table de chevet. (The lamp is on the nightstand.)
• Les chaussures sont sous le lit. (The shoes are under the bed.)
• Le bureau est en face de la fenêtre. (The desk is opposite the window.)

For how furniture vocabulary connects to shopping and everyday transactions in French, the guide to grocery shopping in French covers the shopping phrases and vocabulary patterns that apply across all types of French commerce.

Practice home vocabulary with a teacher

Furniture and home vocabulary come up in apartment hunting, describing your living situation, understanding French real estate, and everyday household conversation. Using the vocabulary actively requires constructing full sentences about real spaces, not just matching words to pictures.

italki connects learners with French teachers who can walk through real-life scenarios including apartment viewings, home descriptions, and moving-in conversations. Book a trial lesson and ask your teacher to practice a home description session: describe your home in French, and the teacher guides you toward more natural and complete expressions for each room.

FAQ

How do you say furniture in French?

The word for furniture is le meuble (singular) or les meubles (plural). A furnished apartment is un appartement meublé. An IKEA store in French is often called le magasin de meubles (the furniture store) or simply referred to by its name.

How do you say living room in French?

The living room is le salon in most everyday French. La salle de séjour is more formal. In Quebec French, le salon is most common. The terms are interchangeable in most contexts, though le salon is more commonly used in informal speech.

How do you describe where furniture is in French?

Use prepositions of location after the noun: La table est au milieu du salon (The table is in the middle of the living room). Le canapé est contre le mur (The sofa is against the wall). L’armoire est dans la chambre (The wardrobe is in the bedroom).

What is the difference between le placard and l’armoire in French?

Le placard is a built-in cupboard or closet: it is part of the wall or room structure. L’armoire is a freestanding wardrobe or large cabinet: a piece of furniture that can be moved. L’armoire normande (Norman wardrobe) is a famous style of large traditional French wardrobe.

How do you say bedroom in French?

The bedroom is la chambre or la chambre à coucher (the sleeping room, slightly more formal). In listings and descriptions, chambre alone is sufficient: un appartement à deux chambres (a two-bedroom apartment).