French · Home, Clothes & Daily Life

"Floor" in French: sol

le sol

Say it: sohlmasculine · le solnoun/sɔl/

Note: storey: l'étage (m)

Floor (the ground surface) in French is le sol, masculine. Par terre means on the floor/ground. For a building storey, use l'étage—not sol. Sol can also mean soil outdoors.

Dropped phone

Mon téléphone est tombé par terre, sur le sol.
My phone fell on the floor.
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How to pronounce sol

Say it

sohl

/sɔl/

Sol is sohl, like English soul without a strong glide. One short syllable.

"Floor" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le solthe floor / ground

Surface underfoot.

par terreon the floor/ground

Fallen objects.

balayer le solto sweep the floor

Chores.

l'étagethe floor/storey

Building levels—not sol.

How to use sol in real life

  1. 1Dropped phone

    Mon téléphone est tombé par terre, sur le sol.

    My phone fell on the floor.

    Sol as surface.

  2. 2Cleaning

    Tu peux passer la serpillière sur le sol ?

    Can you mop the floor?

    Household.

  3. 3Yoga

    Pose le tapis à plat sur le sol.

    Lay the mat flat on the floor.

    Instruction.

Mistakes English speakers make with sol

Incorrect: J'habite au deuxième sol.

Correct: J'habite au deuxième étage.

Storey is étage; sol is the floor surface.

Incorrect: La sol est sale.

Correct: Le sol est sale.

Sol is masculine.

Good to know

English floor covers both surface and storey; French splits them: sol vs étage. Par terre is the reflex phrase when something drops.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Spilled coffee cleanup

  1. ChatPal

    Attention, il y a du café sur le sol.

    Careful—there's coffee on the floor.

  2. You

    Je nettoie le sol tout de suite.

    I'll clean the floor right away.

  3. ChatPal

    Voici un chiffon.

    Here's a cloth.

  4. You

    Merci.

    Thanks.

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"Floor" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Floor" in French

What is floor in French?

Le sol for the surface underfoot.

How do I say second floor (storey)?

Le deuxième étage.

What does par terre mean?

On the floor/ground.

How do you pronounce sol?

Sohl.

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