The word you probably know for 'lake' in French is lac. It's the most common and direct translation.

But the French language, with its rich connection to geography and nature, offers a variety of other terms for different types of lakes and ponds.

Whether you're picturing a serene mountain tarn, a sprawling man-made reservoir, or a simple village pond, there's a specific word for it. Let's explore the nuances and discover nine ways to say 'lake' in French!

The standard 'lake' – le lac

The most common and standard French word for 'lake' is le lac. It's the direct equivalent you'll use in most situations.

Lac is a masculine noun. This is important for choosing the correct article. You will always use masculine articles like le (the) or un (a). For example: le lac (the lake), un lac (a lake).

The final 'c' in lac is silent. It is pronounced /lak/, sounding very similar to the English word 'lack'. The plural form, les lacs, is pronounced exactly the same way; only the article les changes in speech to indicate plurality.

You can use le lac to refer to any body of still freshwater, regardless of its size. It applies to small local ponds as well as vast, famous bodies of water like le lac d'Annecy or le lac Supérieur (Lake Superior).

When talking about activities related to a lake, you'll often use prepositions like dans (in) or the phrase au bord de (at the edge of/on the shore of). For example, nager dans le lac (to swim in the lake) and une maison au bord du lac (a house on the lakeshore).

💡 * Nous allons pique-niquer au bord du lac cet après-midi.

• Le lac Léman est le plus grand lac d'Europe occidentale.
• En été, l'eau du lac est parfaite pour se baigner.
• Il y a un petit lac caché derrière ces montagnes.
• La vue sur les lacs depuis le sommet était magnifique.

The 'pond' or 'small lake' – l'étang

The 'pond' or 'small lake' – l'étang

When describing a body of freshwater in French, the word l'étang refers to a pond or a small lake. It occupies a specific size category, larger than a mare (a puddle or very small pond) but smaller than a lac (a lake).

An étang is typically a calm, still body of water, often found in parks, forests, or on private property. It can be natural or man-made and is commonly associated with activities like fishing (la pêche), bird-watching, or simply a peaceful walk.

It's crucial to remember that étang is a masculine noun, despite starting with a vowel. Therefore, you always say un étang (a pond) or l'étang (the pond). For example, you would say un petit étang (a small pond), not une petite étang.

In short, if you're talking about a body of water that's too substantial to be called a puddle but not vast enough to be a lake, l'étang is the perfect word to use.

💡 * Les canards nagent tranquillement sur l'étang.

• Nous avons fait un pique-nique au bord de l'étang.
• Mon grand-père aime pêcher dans l'étang le dimanche matin.
• Il y a un petit étang caché derrière la forêt.

The 'natural pond' or 'pool' – la mare

When you need to talk about a small, often natural body of still water, like a pond you might find on a farm or in a forest, the French word you're looking for is la mare.

La mare specifically refers to a small, shallow body of stagnant water. Think of a duck pond, a watering hole for animals, or a puddle large enough to be considered a small pond. It's almost always found in a rural or natural setting.

It's important not to confuse la mare with un étang (a larger pond) or un lac (a lake). A mare is the smallest of the three and typically natural. In contrast, un étang is larger and can be man-made, while un lac is a much larger body of water like a lake.

You'll often hear la mare in contexts related to nature and the countryside. A classic example is la mare aux canards (the duck pond). It can also be used figuratively to mean 'pool', as in the expression une mare de sang (a pool of blood).

As a key grammatical point, remember that mare is a feminine noun. Therefore, you always use feminine articles and adjectives with it, such as une mare or la grande mare.

💡 * Les canards barbotent dans la mare.

• Attention de ne pas tomber dans la mare !
• Après la pluie, une grande mare s'est formée sur le chemin.
• Les grenouilles coassent près de la mare le soir.

The general 'body of water' – le plan d'eau

Le plan d'eau is a versatile French term that serves as a general descriptor for any 'body of water.' It's a useful, catch-all phrase when the specific type of water body (like a lake, pond, or reservoir) isn't known or doesn't need to be specified.

Literally translating to 'plane of water' or 'surface of water' (plan = plane/surface, d'eau = of water), this term focuses on the expanse of water itself. Understanding this literal meaning can help you remember its broad application.

You'll often encounter le plan d'eau in more formal, administrative, or technical contexts. For instance, it's commonly used on maps, in real estate listings, or on official signs in parks and recreational areas to describe a managed body of water.

This term can refer to both natural and artificial bodies of water. It's an umbrella term that could describe a small pond, a large lake, a reservoir, or a man-made basin for recreational activities. Its primary function is to be general and descriptive.

💡 * La pêche est autorisée sur ce plan d'eau.

• Nous avons fait un pique-nique près du plan d'eau.
• Ce parc national est célèbre pour son magnifique plan d'eau.
• Attention, la baignade dans le plan d'eau est non surveillée.

The 'man-made lake' or 'reservoir' – le réservoir

The primary French word for a 'man-made lake' or 'reservoir' is le réservoir.

Le réservoir is a direct cognate of the English word 'reservoir', making it very easy to remember. It refers to a large artificial lake created to store water for public supply, irrigation, or generating power.

It is a masculine noun, so you will always use masculine articles like le or un. For example, you would say un grand réservoir (a large reservoir).

Be aware that réservoir has a broader meaning in French. It can also refer to any type of 'tank' used to hold a liquid, most commonly the gas tank of a car, known as le réservoir d'essence.

You will hear this term used in discussions about geography, civil engineering, water management, and when talking about filling up a vehicle with fuel.

💡 * Le niveau d'eau dans le réservoir est très bas cette année. (The water level in the reservoir is very low this year.)

• Nous avons fait un pique-nique près du réservoir. (We had a picnic near the reservoir.)
• J'ai dû m'arrêter pour remplir le réservoir de la voiture. (I had to stop to fill the car's tank.)
• Ce réservoir alimente toute la région en électricité. (This reservoir supplies the entire region with electricity.)

The 'dam lake' – le lac de barrage

When you need to say 'dam lake' or 'reservoir' in French, the most direct and widely used term is le lac de barrage.

The phrase is a straightforward combination of two nouns: le lac, meaning 'the lake,' and le barrage, meaning 'the dam.' Literally, it translates to 'the lake of the dam,' which perfectly describes a man-made lake created by a dam.

You will encounter le lac de barrage in various contexts, from travel and recreation (like boating or fishing) to more technical discussions about hydroelectric power (l'énergie hydroélectrique) and water management (la gestion de l'eau).

A slightly more technical or general term is une retenue d'eau, which means 'a water reservoir' or 'holding pond.' While le lac de barrage is more common for large, lake-like reservoirs, retenue d'eau can also be used, especially in official or engineering contexts.

💡 * On peut faire du kayak sur le lac de barrage.

• Le lac de barrage de Serre-Ponçon est l'un des plus grands d'Europe.
• La construction du barrage a créé un immense lac de barrage.
• Le niveau du lac de barrage a baissé pendant l'été.

The 'coastal lake' or 'lagoon' – la lagune

The French word for a 'lagoon' or 'coastal lake' is la lagune. This term specifically refers to a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water, like the sea, by a narrow landform such as reefs or barrier islands.

As the article la suggests, lagune is a feminine noun. This means all related articles and adjectives must agree in gender. For example, you would say une belle lagune (a beautiful lagoon).

The term la lagune is primarily used in geography and tourism to describe coastal features. It's the standard term you would use when discussing famous lagoons like those in Venice or French Polynesia.

💡 * La lagune de Venise est mondialement connue. (The Venetian Lagoon is world-famous.)

• Nous avons observé des flamants roses près de la lagune. (We observed pink flamingos near the lagoon.)
• Une mince bande de sable sépare la lagune de l'océan. (A thin strip of sand separates the lagoon from the ocean.)

The 'salt lake' – le lac salé

The “salt lake” – le lac salé

The term le lac salé is the direct and most common way to say 'the salt lake' in French. It is a literal translation, combining lac, the French word for 'lake', with salé, the adjective for 'salty'.

In French, the noun lac is masculine, which is why the masculine form of the adjective, salé, is used. This follows the standard French grammatical structure where the adjective typically follows the noun it modifies. For the plural form, you would say les lacs salés.

This phrase is used to describe actual geographical locations. For example, the Great Salt Lake in the United States is known in French as le Grand Lac Salé.

💡 * Le Grand Lac Salé en Utah est célèbre pour sa haute salinité.

• Nous avons visité un lac salé impressionnant pendant nos vacances.
• La densité de l'eau dans un lac salé permet de flotter facilement.

1. The 'glacial lake' – le lac glaciaire

To say “glacial lake” in French, the direct and most accurate translation is le lac glaciaire. This phrase is composed of two words: lac, which means 'lake', and glaciaire, which means 'glacial'.

In French, nouns have a gender. Lac is a masculine noun, so it uses the masculine definite article le ('the'). The adjective glaciaire follows the noun, which is a common structure in French. Since glaciaire ends in an 'e', its form is the same for both masculine and feminine singular nouns.

When referring to more than one glacial lake, you use the plural form: les lacs glaciaires. Notice that both the article, the noun, and the adjective become plural. Le becomes les, and an 's' is added to both lac and glaciaire.

The term le lac glaciaire is used in scientific contexts (geology, geography) as well as in tourism, especially when describing landscapes in mountainous regions like the Alps (les Alpes) or the Pyrenees (les Pyrénées).

💡 * La couleur de ce lac glaciaire est d'un bleu turquoise intense. (The color of this glacial lake is an intense turquoise blue.)

• Nous avons fait une randonnée pour atteindre le lac glaciaire en altitude. (We went on a hike to reach the high-altitude glacial lake.)
• Les Alpes abritent de nombreux lacs glaciaires formés il y a des milliers d'années. (The Alps are home to many glacial lakes formed thousands of years ago.)
• Le réchauffement climatique menace les lacs glaciaires. (Global warming threatens glacial lakes.)

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

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

Our guide has covered the most essential French words for “lake,” from the general lac to the more specific étang. However, the French language is rich with geographical and regional terms you might encounter, especially for smaller or specific types of water bodies.

To discover more localized terms, you can try an online search for “comment nomme-t-on un lac en ___” and add a region famous for its lakes, like Savoie or Québec.

When you discover a new synonym for lac, like plan d'eau or étendue d'eau, always check its precise definition. Context is key to understanding if it refers to a natural lake, a pond, or a man-made reservoir.

Pay close attention when you read French poetry, watch documentaries about nature, or browse travel blogs. You'll start to notice the subtle differences in how French speakers describe their beautiful landscapes and bodies of water.

If you're looking for more vocabulary related to geography or specific types of lakes, the WordReference forum for the word lac is a fantastic place to find discussions among native speakers.

I hope this guide has been helpful for your French learning journey. To finish, here is a classic line from Alphonse de Lamartine’s famous poem, Le Lac: Ô temps, suspends ton vol ! (O time, suspend your flight!). It perfectly captures the timeless beauty of a lakeside moment.