Planning a trip to a French-speaking country? One of the most practical questions you'll ever need to ask is, "Où sont les toilettes?" But just like in English, asking for the "bathroom" isn't a one-size-fits-all situation. The term you use can depend on whether you're in a private home, a chic restaurant, or a public place like a train station. Knowing the right word for the right context can help you sound more natural and avoid any awkward moments. Let's dive into the nine essential ways to say "bathroom" in French so you'll be prepared wherever you go!

1. The standard 'bathroom' – la salle de bain

The standard 'bathroom' – la salle de bain

La salle de bain is the most common and standard way to say 'bathroom' in French. It's the term you'll encounter most frequently in everyday conversation.

Literally, it translates to 'the room of bath'. This is a key clue to its primary meaning: it's the room where you bathe.

A room is called la salle de bain specifically because it contains a bath (une baignoire) or a shower (une douche). It also typically includes a sink (un lavabo).

Here's the most important distinction for English speakers: a French salle de bain does not automatically contain a toilet (les toilettes).

In many French homes, especially older ones, the toilet is in a separate, small room called les toilettes or le W.C. The salle de bain is strictly for washing. If you are looking for a toilet, it's always safer to ask for les toilettes.

If you ask, « Où est la salle de bain ? », you will be directed to the room with the shower. If you only need the toilet, you should ask, « Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ? » This will avoid any confusion.

💡 * La salle de bain est au bout du couloir.

Je dois me brosser les dents dans la salle de bain.

Dans notre hôtel, les toilettes sont dans la salle de bain.

Il n'y a pas de baignoire dans cette salle de bain, seulement une douche.

The 'toilet' (and the room it's in) – les toilettes

The most common and essential word for 'toilet' or 'restroom' in French is les toilettes. It's the go-to term in almost any situation, from a casual home setting to a formal restaurant.

Crucially, les toilettes is almost always used in its plural form, even if you're referring to a single room with one toilet. This is a fixed expression. Using the singular, la toilette, refers to the act of washing up or one's personal grooming, not the fixture or the room.

The term les toilettes can refer to both the toilet fixture itself and the room containing it. This is important because in many French homes, the room with the toilet is separate from the room with the shower or bath, which is called la salle de bain.

You will also frequently encounter WC (pronounced vé-cé), which stands for the English 'water closet'. This is very common on signs in public places like train stations or cafes. A more old-fashioned term you might hear is les cabinets.

If you need to ask for the restroom, the most polite and universally understood phrase is: Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît ? (Where are the toilets, please?). Memorizing this one phrase will be incredibly useful.

💡 * Excusez-moi, où sont les toilettes ?

Je dois aller aux toilettes avant de partir.

Dans notre maison, les toilettes sont au rez-de-chaussée.

Les toilettes de ce restaurant sont très propres.

The 'water closet' (abbreviation) – les WC

The most common and standard way to say “toilet” in French is les WC (pronounced lay vay-say or lay doo-bluh vay-say). This is an abbreviation of the English term “water closet,” which the French adopted and made their own.

Despite its English origins, les WC is the go-to, neutral term in everyday French. You can use it in almost any situation, from asking for the restroom in a café (Où sont les WC?) to discussing plumbing in a home.

An important grammatical rule is that les WC is always treated as a plural, masculine noun. Therefore, it always uses plural articles and verb conjugations, like les WC sont... (the toilets are...).

While les toilettes is another very common word for “toilet,” les WC often refers specifically to the room containing only the toilet fixture itself, especially in older French apartments where the toilet and the bathroom (la salle de bain) can be in separate rooms.

The most common and polite way to ask for the restroom using this term is: « Où sont les WC, s'il vous plaît ? » (Where are the toilets, please?). Notice the verb is plural (sont) to agree with the plural noun les WC.

💡 * Où sont les WC, s'il vous plaît ? (Where are the toilets, please?)

Les WC sont au fond du couloir. (The toilets are at the end of the hallway.)

Excusez-moi, je cherche les WC. (Excuse me, I'm looking for the toilet.)

Dans cet appartement, les WC sont séparés de la salle de bain. (In this apartment, the toilet is separate from the bathroom.)

The 'little corner' (euphemism) – le petit coin

One of the most charming and common French euphemisms is le petit coin, used to refer to the toilet or bathroom.

Literally translating to “the little corner,” le petit coin is a polite and slightly discreet way to ask for the restroom, similar to asking for the “powder room” or “little boys'/girls' room” in English.

You can use this phrase in almost any social setting, from a friend's house to a restaurant. While les toilettes is more direct, le petit coin is often preferred for its softer, more indirect tone.

Remember that the phrase is masculine singular. This is important when forming questions or statements, such as asking Où est le petit coin ? (Where is the little corner?).

💡 * Excusez-moi, où est le petit coin, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, where is the restroom, please?)

Je dois aller au petit coin avant de partir. (I have to go to the little corner before we leave.)

Le petit coin est au fond du couloir à gauche. (The restroom is at the end of the hall on the left.)

N'hésitez pas à utiliser le petit coin si vous en avez besoin. (Don't hesitate to use the little corner if you need to.)

The 'restroom' (in public places) – les sanitaires

When you're in a public place in France, like a restaurant, museum, or train station, the most appropriate term for the 'restroom' or 'washroom' is les sanitaires.

Les sanitaires is a plural noun that refers to the entire sanitary facility, including the toilets, sinks, and hand-drying area. It's a more formal and comprehensive term than les toilettes.

You'll see this word on signs and hear it used in public venues. It's the polite and standard way to ask for the restroom facilities in a formal or commercial setting.

Crucially, the term is always used in the plural: les sanitaires. You would not refer to the facility as le sanitaire. Think of it like 'the facilities' in English.

In short, use les sanitaires when asking for the restroom in any public place. For a private home, the more common term remains les toilettes.

💡 * Où sont les sanitaires, s'il vous plaît ? (Where are the restrooms, please?)

Les sanitaires de cet aéroport sont très propres. (The restrooms in this airport are very clean.)

Je dois passer aux sanitaires avant que le film ne commence. (I need to go to the restroom before the movie starts.)

Les sanitaires se trouvent au sous-sol. (The restrooms are in the basement.)

The 'shower room' (no tub) – la salle d'eau

When describing a bathroom in French, the fixtures inside matter. The specific term for a bathroom that has a shower but no bathtub is la salle d'eau.

The main distinction is simple: la salle de bain (literally 'the bath room') must contain a bathtub (une baignoire). In contrast, la salle d'eau (literally 'the water room') has a shower (une douche) and a sink (un lavabo), but no tub. Confusing the two can lead to disappointment when booking a hotel or renting an apartment!

This isn't just a technicality; it's a crucial detail in French real estate and hospitality. Listings for apartments and hotels will always specify salle de bain or salle d'eau. In many older or smaller city apartments, especially in Paris, having only a salle d'eau is very common due to space constraints.

Here's the easiest way to remember: If you can take a bath in it, it's a salle de bain. If you can only take a shower, it's a salle d'eau. Note that the toilet (les toilettes) can be in either room or, very often in France, in its own separate small room.

💡 * Notre chambre d'hôtel a une petite salle d'eau, mais pas de baignoire.

L'annonce précise que l'appartement dispose d'une cuisine et d'une salle d'eau.

Je vais me préparer dans la salle d'eau avant de sortir.

Il y a deux chambres mais une seule salle d'eau dans la maison.

The 'cabinets' (old-fashioned) – les cabinets

An old-fashioned but still understood term for 'the toilet' or 'the restroom' in French is les cabinets. You might encounter this term in older literature, films, or hear it used, sometimes humorously, by older generations.

It's important to note that les cabinets is always used in the plural form, much like its modern equivalent, les toilettes. It refers to the room itself. The common phrase is aller aux cabinets, meaning 'to go to the toilet'.

While you can still use les cabinets, the most common and neutral term today is les toilettes. Using les cabinets can sound a bit dated or overly formal, but it's a useful word for understanding a wider range of French media and conversation.

💡 * Excusez-moi, où sont les cabinets, s'il vous plaît ? (Excuse me, where is the restroom, please?)

Le petit garçon a demandé à sa grand-mère s'il pouvait aller aux cabinets. (The little boy asked his grandmother if he could go to the toilet.)

Dans ce vieux château, les cabinets se trouvaient au fond du couloir. (In this old castle, the toilets were at the end of the hallway.)

The 'throne' (humorous slang) – le trône

A classic and humorous slang term for the toilet is le trône, which literally translates to 'the throne.'

The imagery is quite straightforward: one sits on the toilet as a king or queen would sit on their throne. This playful comparison makes it a very common and easily understood piece of French slang.

This term is informal and used in everyday, familiar conversations. It's not considered vulgar, but rather a lighthearted way to refer to the toilet. You'll often hear it paired with the verb aller (to go), as in aller sur le trône.

💡 * Excusez-moi, je dois aller sur le trône. (Excuse me, I have to go to the throne.)

Il passe des heures sur le trône à lire. (He spends hours on the throne reading.)

Le papier toilette est à côté du trône. (The toilet paper is next to the throne.)

The 'crapper' (vulgar slang) – les chiottes

The most direct and vulgar slang for 'toilet' or 'crapper' in French is les chiottes. This term is highly informal and should be used with caution, as it's considered quite crude, similar to using 'the shitter' or 'the crapper' in English. It is almost always used in the plural form.

The word chiottes comes directly from the very vulgar verb chier, which means 'to shit'. This origin is why the term carries such a strong, coarse connotation. Understanding this connection helps clarify why it's completely inappropriate in polite company or formal situations.

You would typically hear les chiottes used among close friends, in very casual settings, or to express frustration. For example, someone might complain about dirty public toilets by calling them les chiottes. A very common phrase is aller aux chiottes, meaning 'to go to the crapper'.

💡 * Excuse-moi, où sont les chiottes ? (Excuse me, where is the crapper?)

Les chiottes de ce bar sont dégueulasses. (The toilets in this bar are disgusting.)

J'ai la gastro, j'ai passé ma nuit sur les chiottes. (I have a stomach bug, I spent my night on the toilet.)

Il a jeté la lettre de son ex dans les chiottes. (He threw his ex's letter in the toilet.)

Are there other ways to say 'bathroom' in French?

Our guide has covered the most common and essential ways to say 'bathroom' in French, from the universally understood les toilettes to the more specific la salle de bain. However, French is a rich language with various regionalisms, informal slang, and even outdated terms you might still hear.

When you're in a French-speaking country, one of the best ways to learn is by observing. Pay attention to the signs on doors in cafés, museums, and train stations. This will quickly show you the most common local term.

Remember that context is everything. While les toilettes is a safe, all-purpose term for a public restroom, asking for la salle de bain in a restaurant might get you a strange look, as you're specifically asking for a room with a bathtub. When in doubt, stick with les toilettes.

As you watch French movies or read French books, listen and look for these words. You'll start to get a natural feel for when someone would say les cabinets versus the slightly more delicate le petit coin.

If you're curious about very specific or colloquial terms, the forums on a dictionary site like WordReference are an excellent resource. There, you can often find discussions by native speakers on the subtle differences between words.

I hope this guide helps you navigate your way with confidence. Knowing how to ask for the bathroom is one of the most practical and fundamental parts of learning any new language. It's a small phrase that offers a lot of comfort! Bonne chance !

'9 ways to say "bathroom" in French'