L'herbe is the most common way to say “grass” in French, but the options don't stop there.

Whether you're planning a picnic in a Parisian park, describing your dream garden, or even complaining about mowing the lawn, knowing the right word is key to sounding like a local.

Let's explore nine different ways to say “grass” in French, covering everything from manicured lawns to wild fields!

1. The standard 'grass' – l'herbe

The most direct and common word for 'grass' in French is l'herbe.

L'herbe is a feminine noun (une herbe). It's used to refer to the grass you find in a lawn, a park, or a field. Because it starts with a silent 'h' (h muet), it uses the apostrophe form l' with the definite article.

Pay attention to the pronunciation. The 'h' is silent, which means you must create a liaison with the word before it. For instance, les herbes is pronounced 'lay-zerb', not 'lay erb'.

When used in the plural, les herbes, the meaning often shifts from 'grass' to 'herbs' or 'weeds'. For example, les herbes de Provence are the famous culinary herbs, and les mauvaises herbes literally means 'the bad herbs', which translates to 'weeds'.

While you can say couper l'herbe (to cut the grass), it's more common for French speakers to say tondre la pelouse when referring to mowing the lawn. A well-known idiom is l'herbe est toujours plus verte ailleurs, meaning 'the grass is always greener elsewhere'.

It's important to be aware that, just like in English, l'herbe is a very common slang term for marijuana. The context will almost always make the meaning clear, but it's a crucial nuance to understand.

💡 * L'herbe est mouillée à cause de la rosée du matin.

• Il est interdit de marcher sur l'herbe dans ce parc.
• Les vaches paissent dans un champ plein d'herbe fraîche.
• J'ai besoin d'arracher les mauvaises herbes dans le potager.

The 'lawn' – le gazon

The most common and direct translation for a 'lawn' in French is le gazon. This term specifically refers to the manicured, cultivated grass that you would find in a garden, a park, or a front yard.

Le gazon implies human maintenance—it's grass that is regularly cut, watered, and cared for. This distinguishes it from l'herbe, which means 'grass' in a more general or wild sense, such as in a field or on the side of a road.

Several key verbs are frequently used with le gazon. The most important is tondre, meaning 'to mow'. Therefore, 'to mow the lawn' is tondre le gazon. Other useful phrases include arroser le gazon (to water the lawn) and semer du gazon (to sow grass seed).

You will often encounter this word on signs in public parks across France. The classic warning 'Ne pas marcher sur le gazon' means 'Keep off the grass.' A close synonym, la pelouse, is also used on signs (Pelouse interdite), but in everyday conversation about one's own yard, le gazon is very common.

To put it simply: think of le gazon as the 'lawn' you maintain, and l'herbe as the general 'grass' that grows everywhere. If you're talking about the green carpet in your backyard, le gazon is the precise word to use.

💡 * Il faut que je tonde le gazon avant la pluie.

• Les enfants adorent jouer sur le gazon en été.
• Notre nouveau gazon pousse très bien.
• Attention, le gazon vient d'être arrosé, il est mouillé.

The other 'lawn' – la pelouse

While le gazon often refers to manicured turf, la pelouse is another extremely common French word for 'lawn' or a patch of grass. It's frequently used to describe public green spaces or recreational areas.

The word la pelouse translates directly to 'lawn' or 'grass'. You'll most often encounter it in contexts like public parks, gardens, sports fields, or the general grassy area around a house. It refers to the mown, usable surface of grass.

So, what's the difference between la pelouse and le gazon? While they are often interchangeable, there's a slight nuance. La pelouse typically refers to a larger, more functional grassy area (like a park lawn or a soccer pitch), whereas le gazon can sometimes imply a more ornamental, perfectly-kept lawn you might find in a private garden.

One of the most common places you will see this word is on signs in French parks. The phrase 'Ne pas marcher sur la pelouse' means 'Keep off the grass' and is a classic example of its use for public, maintained green spaces.

It's essential to remember the grammar: pelouse is a feminine noun. Therefore, you must always use the feminine articles: la pelouse (the lawn) or une pelouse (a lawn).

💡 * Les enfants jouent sur la pelouse. (The children are playing on the lawn.)

• Il est interdit de marcher sur la pelouse. (It is forbidden to walk on the grass.)
• Nous avons fait un pique-nique sur la pelouse du parc. (We had a picnic on the park lawn.)
• Le jardinier tond la pelouse toutes les semaines. (The gardener mows the lawn every week.)

The 'meadow' or 'pasture' – le pré

The 'meadow' or 'pasture' – le pré

Le pré is the French word for 'the meadow' or 'the pasture'. It describes an open field of grass, often where livestock like cows or sheep graze.

As a masculine noun, pré is always preceded by masculine articles like le (the) or un (a/an). The plural form is les prés.

The word pré evokes images of the French countryside (la campagne) and is fundamental to describing rural landscapes in France. It often appears in poetry and art to symbolize nature and tranquility.

💡 * Les vaches sont dans le pré. (The cows are in the meadow.)

• Nous allons nous promener dans les prés cet après-midi. (We are going for a walk in the meadows this afternoon.)
• Un petit ruisseau traverse le pré. (A small stream crosses the pasture.)
• J'aime m'allonger dans l'herbe du pré pour regarder les nuages. (I like to lie in the grass of the meadow to watch the clouds.)

The 'grazing pasture' – le pâturage

In French, le pâturage refers to a grazing pasture or meadow. It's a field of grass specifically used for livestock like cows, sheep, or horses to feed.

This noun is directly linked to the verb pâturer, which means 'to graze.' Thinking of this connection can help you remember that le pâturage is the place where the action of grazing occurs.

You will typically hear or read le pâturage in discussions about farming, agriculture, or rural life. It's a common term when describing countryside landscapes.

Remember that pâturage is a masculine noun. Therefore, you must always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as le pâturage (the pasture) or un grand pâturage (a large pasture).

In summary, when you need a word for a field where animals eat grass, le pâturage is the precise and correct term to use in French.

💡 * Les vaches sont retournées au pâturage après la traite. (The cows returned to the pasture after milking.)

• Nous cherchons un pâturage assez grand pour nos chevaux. (We are looking for a pasture big enough for our horses.)
• Le berger mène son troupeau vers les pâturages de montagne. (The shepherd leads his flock towards the mountain pastures.)
• Ce pâturage est vert et luxuriant au printemps. (This pasture is green and lush in the spring.)

The 'hay' (dried grass) – le foin

The French word for 'hay' is le foin. It is a masculine noun used to describe grass that has been cut and dried, primarily for animal fodder. Remember to use masculine articles like le or un when referring to it.

It's crucial to distinguish le foin from la paille (straw). While le foin is nutritious dried grass fed to animals like horses and cows, la paille consists of the dry stalks of cereal plants left over after harvesting grain, and it's typically used for bedding.

You'll often encounter le foin in specific agricultural contexts. The activity of haymaking is called faire les foins. A single bundle of hay is known as une botte de foin, which is a key component of a very famous idiom.

A widely used French expression is chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin, which translates literally to 'to look for a needle in a bale of hay.' Just like its English equivalent, 'to look for a needle in a haystack,' it means to undertake a hopeless or nearly impossible search.

💡 * L'agriculteur doit rentrer le foin avant l'orage.

• Mon lapin adore manger du foin frais tous les jours.
• Retrouver ce document dans ces archives, c'est comme chercher une aiguille dans une botte de foin.
• L'odeur du foin coupé me rappelle mon enfance à la campagne.

1. The botanical term for 'grasses' – les graminées

In French, the specific botanical term for 'grasses' is les graminées. This term refers to the large and widespread family of flowering plants known as Poaceae, which includes everything from lawn grass and bamboo to cereal crops like wheat and corn.

The word graminée is a feminine noun. While you can refer to a single grass plant as une graminée, it is most commonly used in its plural form, les graminées, to refer to the entire family or a group of grasses.

You'll most often encounter les graminées in scientific, agricultural, or gardening contexts. It's also a key term when discussing seasonal allergies, as many people are allergic to the pollen from these plants (le pollen des graminées).

💡 * Beaucoup de gens sont allergiques au pollen des graminées au printemps. (Many people are allergic to grass pollen in the spring.)

• Le blé et le maïs sont des types de graminées cultivés pour l'alimentation. (Wheat and corn are types of grasses grown for food.)
• Le jardinier a planté plusieurs espèces de graminées ornementales pour décorer le parc. (The gardener planted several species of ornamental grasses to decorate the park.)

The general 'greenery' – la verdure

The general 'greenery' – la verdure

La verdure is a feminine, uncountable noun that refers to the greenness of plants and foliage collectively. It's the word you use to describe the lush, green landscape of a park, forest, or countryside, rather than a single plant.

This term is often used to express an appreciation for nature or to describe a scene. If you live in a city and miss seeing trees and grass, you would say you miss la verdure. It captures the overall impression of a green, natural space.

Unlike specific words like un arbre (a tree) or une plante (a plant), la verdure is abstract and general. Think of it as the English equivalent of 'greenery' or 'vegetation' in a scenic context.

💡 * J'aime me promener dans la verdure le week-end. (I like to walk in the greenery on the weekend.)

• Après un long hiver, le retour de la verdure fait du bien. (After a long winter, the return of the greenery feels good.)
• Ce parc est un véritable écrin de verdure au cœur de la ville. (This park is a real oasis of greenery in the heart of the city.)

The 'weed' or 'herb' – la mauvaise herbe/l'herbe aromatique

In French, context is everything when using the word l'herbe. While it can be translated as 'herb,' it's crucial to distinguish between an unwanted garden 'weed' and a culinary 'herb' used for cooking. This distinction is made clear with two specific phrases.

To talk about a 'weed' in the sense of an unwanted plant growing in your garden, the correct French term is la mauvaise herbe. This literally translates to 'the bad herb,' leaving no room for confusion. If you're talking about weeding the garden, this is the phrase you need.

When you're referring to herbs used for cooking or flavor, such as parsley, thyme, or basil, the most precise term is l'herbe aromatique (aromatic herb). In everyday conversation and recipes, this is often shortened to simply les herbes (the herbs).

It's important to note that the singular word l'herbe (f.) by itself most often means 'grass.' For example, s'asseoir dans l'herbe means 'to sit in the grass.' Therefore, relying on context or using the more specific phrases is key to being understood correctly.

💡 * Le jardin est plein de mauvaises herbes après la pluie. (The garden is full of weeds after the rain.)

• J'ajoute des herbes aromatiques fraîches à la salade. (I add fresh herbs to the salad.)
• Il faut désherber le potager avant de planter les légumes. (We have to weed the vegetable patch before planting the vegetables.)
• Quelles herbes utilises-tu pour cette recette ? (What herbs do you use for this recipe?)
• Les enfants jouent sur l'herbe dans le parc. (The children are playing on the grass in the park.)

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

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

Our list features the most essential ways to say “grass” in French, from a manicured lawn (le gazon) to a wild field (l'herbe). But of course, the French language is rich with more specific botanical terms, regionalisms, and even slang that you might come across.

You can explore further by searching online for “comment dire herbe en” followed by a specific region like Québec or Provence, or by looking up “types d'herbes” for more botanical vocabulary.

Context is everything when talking about “grass.” Before using a new word, always check its specific meaning. Is it ornamental grass, a weed, or something else entirely? A quick check can save you from confusion.

Pay attention when you're reading French gardening magazines, watching nature documentaries, or walking through a jardin public. Listening to how native speakers describe the landscape is one of the best ways to learn these nuances.

For a deeper dive into plant-related vocabulary, the French version of Wikipedia or a good online dictionary like Larousse can be excellent resources. Look up a specific type of grass to see how it's classified and described.

I hope this article has helped clarify the green vocabulary of French. To finish, here is a lovely proverb that fits our theme: Il n'y a pas de mauvaise herbe, il n'y a que des herbes mal aimées. (There are no bad weeds, only unloved herbs.)