French · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Door" in French: porte

la porte

Say it: portfeminine · la portenoun/pɔʁt/

Door in French is la porte, feminine. Ouvrir / fermer la porte means open / close the door. La porte d'entrée is the front door.

Arrival

Je sonne à la porte.
I'm ringing at the door.
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How to pronounce porte

Say it

port

/pɔʁt/

Port—like English port without a hard final t punch; soft t release. Soft French r. Final e silent. La porte: lah port.

"Door" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
la portedoor

General word.

la porte d'entréefront door

Building or flat entrance.

ouvrir / fermer la porteto open / close the door

Basic actions.

à la porteat the door

Someone waiting or knocking.

How to use porte in real life

  1. 1Arrival

    Je sonne à la porte.

    I'm ringing at the door.

    Sonner à la porte = ring the doorbell.

  2. 2Leaving home

    Tu fermes la porte à clé ?

    Are you locking the door?

    À clé = with a key / locked.

  3. 3Office

    La porte est ouverte, entrez.

    The door is open, come in.

    Invitation phrase.

Mistakes English speakers make with porte

Incorrect: Le porte est fermée.

Correct: La porte est fermée.

Porte is feminine.

Incorrect: Close la door.

Correct: Ferme la porte.

Use fermer la porte.

Good to know

Apartment buildings have a porte d'entrée for the building and another for the flat. Interphones (entry phones) are standard; visitors call avant d'entrer.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

A delivery at a flat door

  1. ChatPal

    Il y a quelqu'un à la porte.

    There's someone at the door.

  2. You

    J'ouvre la porte.

    I'll open the door.

  3. ChatPal

    Demande qui c'est avant d'ouvrir la porte.

    Ask who it is before opening the door.

  4. You

    Oui. La porte reste fermée une seconde.

    Yes. The door stays closed a second.

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"Door" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Door" in French

Is porte feminine?

Yes: la porte, une porte lourde.

How do I say front door?

La porte d'entrée.

What is fermer à clé?

To lock with a key.

How do you pronounce porte?

Port, with a soft French r.

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