Jeu is the most common way to say “game” in French. But there are several other options, depending on the context! Whether you're discussing sports, board games, video games, or even a playful situation, knowing the right word for "game" can make all the difference. Let’s look at 9 common ways to say “game” (and, sometimes, more specific types of "games") in French!

The standard 'game' (general, play) – jeu

The standard “game” (general, play) – jeu

Jeu is the most common and versatile French word for “game” or “play”.

This noun is masculine and singular by default, but can be plural:

le jeu - the game (singular, masculine)
les jeux - the games (plural, masculine)

It can be used in a wide range of contexts, from board games and video games to sports and even metaphorical “plays” or “stakes”.

While jeu primarily means "game", it also forms the basis of many common expressions related to playing or stakes.

Here are some key idiomatic uses of jeu:

jouer à un jeu - to play a game (e.g., jouer aux cartes - to play cards)
le jeu de mots - a pun, wordplay
être en jeu - to be at stake
faire le jeu de quelqu'un - to play into someone's hands

For instance, Nous avons joué à un jeu de société hier soir (We played a board game last night) uses jeu for a specific type of game, while Les enjeux sont élevés dans ce jeu politique (The stakes are high in this political game) uses it metaphorically.

It's important to note the close relationship with the verb jouer (to play), which is often used in conjunction with jeu (e.g., jouer à un jeu).

Fortunately, the context usually makes it clear whether jeu refers to a literal game, a metaphorical situation, or part of an expression.

France has a rich tradition of board games (jeux de société) and card games (jeux de cartes), and jeu is central to discussing these leisure activities.

💡 * Quel est ton jeu préféré ? (What is your favorite game?)

Les enfants adorent les jeux de société. (Children love board games.)

L'avenir de l'entreprise est en jeu. (The future of the company is at stake.)

Il a fait un jeu de mots amusant. (He made a funny pun.)

Nous allons jouer à un jeu vidéo. (We are going to play a video game.)

The 'board game' – jeu de société

When you want to talk about a 'board game' in French, the most common and accurate term you'll use is jeu de société.

Literally translating to 'game of society' or 'social game', this phrase perfectly encapsulates the essence of games designed for group interaction and entertainment.

While it often brings to mind classic board games like chess or Monopoly, jeu de société is a broad term that also includes card games, dice games, and other party games played with multiple people.

It's important to distinguish jeu de société from other types of games. For instance, a video game is a jeu vidéo, and a sport is often referred to as a sport or a jeu sportif.

To say 'to play a board game,' you'll typically use the verb jouer à followed by the game. For example, 'jouer à un jeu de société' means 'to play a board game'.

Board games hold a significant place in French leisure, often bringing families and friends together for convivial evenings. Learning this term opens up conversations about a popular cultural pastime.

💡 * On va jouer à un jeu de société ce soir. (We're going to play a board game tonight.)

Quel est ton jeu de société préféré ? (What's your favorite board game?)

J'ai acheté un nouveau jeu de société pour la famille. (I bought a new board game for the family.)

Les jeux de société sont parfaits pour les soirées pluvieuses. (Board games are perfect for rainy evenings.)

The 'video game' – jeu vidéo

When you want to talk about video games in French, the most common and direct term you'll use is jeu vidéo.

This term is masculine. So, you'll refer to 'a video game' as un jeu vidéo and 'the video game' as le jeu vidéo.

To make it plural, you'll say des jeux vidéo (some video games) or les jeux vidéo (the video games). It's important to note that only jeu takes the 'x' for plural, while vidéo remains unchanged.

The most frequent way you'll encounter jeu vidéo is with the verb jouer (to play). The common phrase is jouer à un jeu vidéo (to play a video game).

Literally, jeu means 'game' and vidéo means 'video', making the compound term quite straightforward and descriptive.

You might also hear related terms like console de jeux vidéo (video game console) or joueur/joueuse (gamer). These terms often appear in discussions about the gaming world.

💡 * J'adore jouer aux jeux vidéo le week-end. (I love playing video games on the weekend.)

Quel est ton jeu vidéo préféré en ce moment ? (What's your favorite video game right now?)

Il a acheté une nouvelle console de jeux vidéo. (He bought a new video game console.)

Les jeux vidéo sont devenus une forme d'art. (Video games have become an art form.)

The 'sports match' or 'game' – match

The 'sports match' or 'game' – match

The French word match directly translates to 'match' or 'game' in English, primarily referring to sporting events.

It's a masculine noun, un match, and is widely used for any competitive game, from football (soccer) to tennis. Despite its English origin, it's fully integrated into French vocabulary.

While technically an English loanword, match is incredibly common in French. Its plural form is typically des matchs (adding an 's'), though occasionally you might encounter it left invariant in older or very specific contexts.

💡 * J'ai regardé un match de foot hier soir. (I watched a soccer match last night.)

Le match de tennis était très intense. (The tennis match was very intense.)

Nous allons au match samedi. (We are going to the game on Saturday.)

Y a-t-il des matchs intéressants à la télé ce soir ? (Are there any interesting games on TV tonight?)

Elle a gagné le match ! (She won the match!)

The 'game' (a round or session) – partie

Partie is a versatile feminine noun in French, primarily meaning a 'game,' 'round,' or 'session' within a larger activity.

When referring to a single instance or segment of a game, whether it's a board game, card game, or video game, partie is the correct word. It signifies one complete play-through from start to finish.

Beyond traditional games, partie also applies to sports matches (e.g., a football match, a tennis match) or a session of an activity, such as 'une partie de pêche' (a fishing trip/session) or 'une partie de golf' (a round of golf).

It's important to distinguish partie from jeu. While jeu refers to the game itself (the concept, the rules, or the physical object like a board game), partie denotes a specific instance of playing that game. For example, 'le jeu d'échecs' (the game of chess) but 'une partie d'échecs' (a game/round of chess).

As a feminine noun, partie always takes feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., une partie, la partie, les parties, une bonne partie).

💡 * On a fait une super partie de cartes hier soir. (We had a great game of cards last night.)

Tu veux faire une partie de Mario Kart ? (Do you want to play a round of Mario Kart?)

La partie de foot était très intense. (The football match was very intense.)

J'ai gagné la première partie, mais j'ai perdu la deuxième. (I won the first round, but I lost the second.)

Ils ont passé l'après-midi à faire une partie de pétanque. (They spent the afternoon playing a game of pétanque.)

The 'children's game' – jeu d'enfant

The “children's game” – jeu d'enfant

Literally translating to “children's game,” jeu d'enfant is a common French idiom used to describe something incredibly easy or simple to do. It's the French equivalent of saying “child's play” or “easy peasy” in English.

You'll most often hear jeu d'enfant in sentences like “C'est un jeu d'enfant” (It's child's play) or “C'était un vrai jeu d'enfant” (It was really easy). It emphasizes that a task requires no special skill or effort.

This expression effectively conveys that a task is so straightforward, even a child could manage it. It's a versatile phrase for downplaying difficulty, whether you're talking about assembling furniture, solving a puzzle, or understanding a concept.

💡 *Monter ce meuble, c'est un jeu d'enfant. (Assembling this furniture is child's play.)
*Pour elle, apprendre le piano était un jeu d'enfant. (For her, learning the piano was child's play.)
*Ne t'inquiète pas, cette recette est un jeu d'enfant. (Don't worry, this recipe is easy peasy.)
*Avec les bonnes instructions, c'était un jeu d'enfant de trouver la gare. (With the right instructions, finding the station was child's play.)

The 'game' (a trick or scheme) – ruse

When you're talking about a 'game' that's actually a trick or a scheme in French, the word you're looking for is ruse.

Unlike a playful jeu (game), a ruse implies a clever, often deceptive, maneuver used to achieve a goal. It suggests cunning and artifice, rather than simple recreation.

Ruse is a feminine noun, so you'll always use une ruse. You'll often hear it in phrases like user de ruse (to use a trick/ruse) or une ruse de guerre (a stratagem of war), highlighting its strategic nature.

💡 *Il a découvert la ruse de son adversaire. (He discovered his opponent's trick.)
*C'était une ruse pour l'attirer dans le piège. (It was a trick to lure him into the trap.)
*Elle a utilisé une ruse intelligente pour obtenir ce qu'elle voulait. (She used a clever ruse to get what she wanted.)
*Les détectives ont déjoué la ruse des criminels. (The detectives foiled the criminals' scheme.)
*Attention à ses ruses, il est très malin. (Watch out for his tricks, he is very cunning.)

The 'game' (a stake or issue) – un enjeu

As a noun, un enjeu means "a stake," "an issue," or "what is at play." It refers to something that can be gained or lost, or an important matter being discussed or decided. It's a crucial term in French to talk about challenges, risks, and important considerations.

While it literally translates to "in play" (from en + jeu), un enjeu is not about a literal game like a sport. Instead, it denotes the significance, consequences, or critical elements involved in a situation, project, or decision. Think of it as "what's at stake."

You'll frequently encounter un enjeu in discussions about politics, economics, social issues, or environmental concerns. Phrases like les enjeux économiques (economic stakes/issues) or un enjeu majeur (a major issue/stake) are very common.

💡 * Les enjeux environnementaux sont cruciaux pour notre avenir. (The environmental stakes are crucial for our future.)

Quel est l'enjeu de cette négociation ? (What is at stake in this negotiation?)

La sécurité des données est un enjeu majeur pour l'entreprise. (Data security is a major issue for the company.)

Comprendre les enjeux sociaux est essentiel. (Understanding the social issues is essential.)

The 'game' (animal for hunting) – gibier

The French word for 'game,' referring to wild animals hunted for food or sport, is gibier. It is a masculine noun.

Gibier specifically designates the animals targeted by hunters. This can include anything from small birds like partridges to larger mammals such as wild boars or deer.

Beyond the living animal, gibier also refers to the meat derived from these hunted creatures. You'll frequently encounter 'viande de gibier' (game meat) on menus, often highlighting seasonal and regional specialties.

Gibier can function as a collective noun. For example, le gibier de la région refers to all the game animals found in a particular region, not just one specific animal. The plural form, les gibiers, is used when talking about different types of game or multiple instances of game animals.

💡 * Le chasseur est revenu avec beaucoup de gibier. (The hunter returned with a lot of game.)

J'adore la viande de gibier, surtout le sanglier. (I love game meat, especially wild boar.)

La forêt est riche en gibier. (The forest is rich in game.)

On a servi du gibier à la sauce grand-veneur pour le dîner. (We served game with grand-veneur sauce for dinner.)

Les gibiers d'eau sont protégés pendant certaines périodes de l'année. (Waterfowl/Water game are protected during certain periods of the year.)

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

Are there other ways to say “game” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “game” in French. But there are other terms, from old-fashioned ones, to regional ones, to up-and-coming slang ones this middle-aged author might not even be aware of!

You can also do an online search for “comment dire jeu en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region.

You might find some interesting synonyms for jeu on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to talk about games.

And if you’re looking for ways to talk about different kinds of games, or words about gaming in French, the WordReference entry for jeu is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of George Bernard Shaw: On ne cesse pas de jouer parce qu'on vieillit, on vieillit parce qu'on cesse de jouer. (We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.)

9 ways to say "game" in French