This French 2 lesson explains French household chores step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on French household chores and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: To talk about your home in French, name the room with le or la, place objects with prepositions like sur, sous and à côté de, and describe chores with faire (faire la vaisselle) or devoir plus an infinitive (je dois ranger ma chambre). Remember that de merges with le and les.
Level: French 2 (high school, ACTFL Novice High) · Standards: ACTFL Novice High, WL 1.1 Interpersonal, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational, WL 2.1 Cultural Practices
French household chores: the lesson
What are the main rooms and furniture words in a French home?
French nouns have a gender, so learn each room and object together with its article. Here are the words you need most for describing where you live.
| Rooms | Furniture and objects |
|---|---|
| la cuisine — kitchen | le lit — bed |
| la chambre — bedroom | le bureau — desk |
| le salon — living room | le canapé — couch |
| la salle de bains — bathroom | l’armoire (f.) — wardrobe |
| les toilettes (f. pl.) — toilet | l’étagère (f.) — shelf |
| le garage, le jardin | le fauteuil — armchair |
How do you say where something is?
Prepositions of place
sur (on), sous (under), dans (in), devant (in front of), derrière (behind), entre … et … (between), au-dessus de (above), à côté de (next to), en face de (across from), à gauche de and à droite de (left of, right of).
Prepositions that end in de merge with the article: de + le = du, de + les = des, but de la and de l’ stay as they are.
Examples
Le sac de Mamadou est sous la chaise. — Mamadou’s bag is under the chair.
La lampe est à côté du canapé. — The lamp is next to the couch.
Mon lit est en face de l’armoire. — My bed is across from the wardrobe.
Common mistake
English says "next to the bed" with no extra word. French needs de: à côté du lit, never à côté le lit. Also remember that les toilettes is plural in French.
How do you talk about chores with faire and devoir?
The general expression is faire le ménage (to clean the house). Many chores use faire: faire la vaisselle, faire la lessive, faire son lit. Others have their own verb: passer l’aspirateur, sortir les poubelles, ranger sa chambre, mettre la table, débarrasser la table, balayer.
| Subject | devoir (must, to have to) |
|---|---|
| je | dois |
| tu | dois |
| il / elle / on | doit |
| nous | devons |
| vous | devez |
| ils / elles | doivent |
Samedi, Awa doit passer l’aspirateur. — On Saturday, Awa has to vacuum.
Culture note
In France the ground floor is le rez-de-chaussée, so the "second floor" of an American building is le premier étage. Toilets are often a separate small room from the bathroom.
Zoé’s tip
Picture your own house room by room and stick a mental label on every object: la lampe est sur le bureau. A walk through your home is the fastest way to lock in these words.
Key points to remember
- Every room and piece of furniture has a gender: le salon, la cuisine, l’armoire.
- De + le becomes du and de + les becomes des: à côté du lit, en face des toilettes.
- Faire is used for many chores: faire la vaisselle, faire la lessive, faire son lit, faire le ménage.
- Devoir + infinitive means must or have to: nous devons mettre la table.
- Other chore verbs are not faire: passer l’aspirateur, sortir les poubelles, ranger sa chambre.
Rooms, Furniture and Who Does the Chores: frequently asked questions
How do you say ‘next to’ in French?
Use à côté de. When the noun is masculine singular, de becomes du (à côté du lit); with plural nouns it becomes des (à côté des fenêtres). With la or l’ it stays de la or de l’.
What is the difference between faire le ménage and faire la vaisselle?
Faire le ménage means to do the general housework or cleaning. Faire la vaisselle is one specific task, washing the dishes. Each chore has its own set phrase, so learn them as chunks.
How do you say ‘I have to’ in French?
Use devoir conjugated, followed by an infinitive: je dois ranger ma chambre. The verb is irregular: dois, dois, doit, devons, devez, doivent.
Are ‘les toilettes’ singular or plural?
Les toilettes is plural in French, even when you mean one toilet. You say Où sont les toilettes ? Some people also say les WC, pronounced vay-say.
Which verb do you use for taking out the trash?
Use sortir les poubelles, not faire. Sortir means to take out. For vacuuming, say passer l’aspirateur, and for tidying your room, ranger sa chambre.