French · Home, Clothes & Daily Life
"Computer" in French: ordinateur
l'ordinateur
Computer in French is l'ordinateur, masculine : un ordinateur, mon ordinateur. Ordi is the everyday short form. Portable means laptop when you say un ordinateur portable.
IT help
Mon ordinateur est trop lent ce matin.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce ordinateur
Say it
lor-dee-nah-TUHR
/ɔʁ.di.na.tœʁ/
Lor-dee-nah-TUHR. Stress toward the end. Soft r. Un ordinateur: uhn-or-dee-nah-TUHR.
"Computer" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| l'ordinateur | the computer Full form. | Full form. |
| un ordinateur | a computer Buying or describing. | Buying or describing. |
| un ordi | a computer Casual short form. | Casual short form. |
| un ordinateur portable | a laptop Portable computer. | Portable computer. |
How to use ordinateur in real life
- 1IT help
Mon ordinateur est trop lent ce matin.
My computer is too slow this morning.
Mon ordinateur.
- 2Library desk
Tu peux utiliser l'ordinateur du fond.
You can use the computer at the back.
L'ordinateur + location.
- 3Shopping online
Je cherche un ordinateur pour le montage vidéo.
I'm looking for a computer for video editing.
Un ordinateur pour…
Mistakes English speakers make with ordinateur
Incorrect: Mon computer est cassé.
Correct: Mon ordinateur est cassé.
Use ordinateur, not computer.
Incorrect: La ordinateur est allumée.
Correct: L'ordinateur est allumé.
Ordinateur is masculine; elision l'ordinateur.
Good to know
French offices still say PC and Mac, but the neutral noun is ordinateur. In ads, PC portable is common shorthand for laptop.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Fixing a frozen screen
ChatPal
Redémarre l'ordinateur d'abord.
Restart the computer first.
You
Je le fais. L'ordinateur sonne bizarre.
Doing it. The computer sounds weird.
ChatPal
Si ça continue, on change d'ordinateur demain.
If it keeps up, we'll switch computers tomorrow.
You
Okay. Je sauvegarde tout ce soir.
Okay. I'll back everything up tonight.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Computer" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Computer" in French
What is the short form?
Ordi in casual speech.
How do I say laptop?
Un ordinateur portable or un PC portable.
Is ordinateur masculine?
Yes: un ordinateur.
How do you pronounce ordinateur?
Or-dee-nah-TUHR.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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