When you first think of the word 'page,' you probably picture a sheet of paper in a book. Simple enough, right? But in French, it's not quite that straightforward.

Depending on whether you're talking about a page in a book, a web page, or even a young attendant to a knight, the word changes! Getting these small details right is a great way to make your French sound more natural and precise.

Let's dive into the nine different ways to say 'page' so you'll always know the perfect word to use!

The standard 'page' in a book or document – la page

The standard 'page' in a book or document – la page

La page is the most direct and common French translation for the word 'page', referring to one side of a sheet of paper in any bound or printed material like a book, newspaper, or document.

A crucial point in French grammar is that page is a feminine noun. You must always use feminine articles and agreements:

• une page - a page
• la page - the page
• les pages - the pages (plural)
• la première page - the first page

It is used just like its English counterpart. To direct someone, you would say à la page... (on page...). The verb for turning a page is tourner la page.

The word transitions seamlessly into the digital world. A webpage is called une page web, and a website's homepage is its page d'accueil.

The expression tourner la page also has a common figurative meaning, identical to 'to turn the page' in English. It signifies moving on from a past event or situation to start anew.

Don't confuse une page with une feuille. A feuille is the physical sheet of paper. Each feuille has two sides, and each side is a page. So, one sheet of paper contains two pages.

💡 * Ouvre ton livre à la page cinquante. (Open your book to page fifty.)

• Ce chapitre ne fait que trois pages. (This chapter is only three pages long.)
• J'ai mis la page d'accueil de ce site dans mes favoris. (I bookmarked this site's homepage.)
• Après leur rupture, elle a décidé de tourner la page. (After their breakup, she decided to move on.)
• Une feuille de papier a deux pages : le recto et le verso. (A sheet of paper has two pages: the front and the back.)

The 'sheet' of paper – la feuille

In French, the word for a “sheet” of paper is la feuille. This is one of its most common and essential meanings, used daily in offices, schools, and homes.

However, la feuille has another very common meaning: a “leaf,” as in from a tree or plant. This is a classic example of a French word with two distinct, everyday meanings that learners must master.

The meaning of la feuille is almost always clear from the context. If someone asks for une feuille while sitting at a desk, they mean paper. If you're talking about a tree, it means leaf. To be perfectly clear, you can specify une feuille de papier (a sheet of paper) or une feuille d'arbre (a tree leaf).

The word is also a component of many fixed expressions. For instance, une feuille de route means a “roadmap” or an itinerary, while une feuille de match is a “scoresheet” in sports.

Remember that feuille is a feminine noun, so you use la or une. The plural form, les feuilles, applies to both sheets of paper and leaves.

💡 * Peux-tu me donner une feuille pour écrire ? (Can you give me a sheet of paper to write on?)

• En automne, les feuilles tombent des arbres. (In autumn, the leaves fall from the trees.)
• L'artiste a dessiné sur une grande feuille blanche. (The artist drew on a large white sheet.)
• J'ai besoin d'une feuille de calcul pour ce projet. (I need a spreadsheet for this project.)

The 'web page' on the internet – la page web

When talking about the internet, one of the most fundamental terms you'll need is 'web page'. In French, this is straightforward: la page web.

La page web is a direct equivalent of the English term. It's a compound noun made from page (page) and web (web). This makes it very easy for English speakers to remember and use correctly.

The most important grammatical rule to remember is that the word page is feminine in French. Therefore, it's always la page web (the web page) or une page web (a web page). You will never see le page web.

To make it plural, you simply add an 's' to page, resulting in les pages web. The word web is considered an invariable adjective here, so it does not change in the plural form.

Just as a book is made of pages, a website (un site web) is made of web pages (des pages web). Knowing this helps you build your digital vocabulary in French. Note that site is masculine, so it's un site web.

💡 * J'ai mis à jour la page web principale. (I updated the main web page.)

• Le lien mène à une page web qui n'existe plus. (The link leads to a web page that no longer exists.)
• Ce site contient des centaines de pages web. (This site contains hundreds of web pages.)
• Peux-tu rafraîchir la page web ? (Can you refresh the web page?)

The 'home page' of a website – la page d'accueil

In French, the term for a website's 'home page' is la page d'accueil.

This phrase literally translates to 'the page of welcome' or 'the reception page.' The word accueil means 'welcome' or 'reception,' which accurately describes the main landing page of a site.

The term is structured with la page (the page), a feminine noun, followed by the prepositional phrase d'accueil (of welcome). This makes the entire expression feminine, so you would use feminine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., une belle page d'accueil).

La page d'accueil is the standard, universally understood term used in all contexts, from casual conversation to professional IT and web design. There isn't a more common or slang alternative.

💡 Cliquez sur le logo pour revenir à la page d'accueil. (Click the logo to return to the home page.)
La page d'accueil de notre site est très moderne. (Our site's home page is very modern.)
Je ne trouve pas le lien sur la page d'accueil. (I can't find the link on the home page.)
Vous pouvez vous inscrire à la newsletter depuis la page d'accueil. (You can sign up for the newsletter from the home page.)

The 'front page' of a newspaper – la une

The 'front page' of a newspaper – la une

La une is the French term for the front page of a newspaper, magazine, or even a news website. It showcases the most important headlines of the day.

The phrase is a contraction of la page une, which literally translates to 'the page one'. Over time, it was shortened to the more common and fluid la une.

A crucial expression to know is faire la une, which means 'to make the front page' or 'to be in the headlines'. This indicates that a person or event has become a major news story.

You'll hear la une used in discussions about current events, journalism, and media. It refers to the physical front page as well as the metaphorical space for the day's biggest story.

💡 * As-tu vu la une du Monde aujourd'hui ? (Did you see the front page of Le Monde today?)

• Ce scandale politique a fait la une de tous les journaux. (This political scandal made the front page of all the newspapers.)
• L'actrice est à la une du dernier magazine de mode. (The actress is on the front page of the latest fashion magazine.)
• Tous les journalistes rêvent de voir leur article à la une. (All journalists dream of seeing their article on the front page.)

The historical 'page' (a young attendant) – le page

To talk about a 'page' in the historical sense—a young boy serving a noble or knight—the French word is le page. This term is directly linked to medieval and feudal history, and its meaning is very specific.

A le page was a young boy, often of noble birth, in the first stage of training for knighthood. He would learn courtly etiquette and assist a lord or knight. This role is almost exclusively found in historical contexts, such as stories about kings, queens, and castles.

A common point of confusion for learners is the difference between le page and la page. They are spelled identically but have different genders and meanings. Le page (masculine) is the boy attendant. La page (feminine) is a page in a book. The article is crucial for understanding the meaning.

You will not hear le page used in everyday modern French conversation. Its use is confined to historical discussions, literature, and period films. It is a vocabulary word for understanding the past, not for describing present-day situations.

💡 * Le jeune page apprit à manier l'épée.

• Le roi a demandé à son page de lui apporter du vin.
• Il a lu l'histoire d'un page qui est devenu un grand chevalier.
• N'oubliez pas la différence : le page sert le seigneur, la page est dans le livre.

The 'double-page spread' – la double-page

The term la double-page is a direct and literal French expression for a 'double-page spread'. It refers to two facing pages in a book, magazine, or newspaper that are designed and read as a single unit.

This term is commonly used in publishing, graphic design, and journalism. You would use it to talk about a large photograph, an advertisement, or an article that spans across two pages for a greater visual impact.

As the main noun page is feminine (une page), the entire expression is also feminine: la double-page. Any accompanying adjectives must agree, for example: une belle double-page (a beautiful double-page spread).

💡 * J'ai vu une superbe publicité sur une double-page dans ce magazine. (I saw a superb advertisement on a double-page spread in this magazine.)

• L'artiste a dessiné une illustration qui occupe toute la double-page. (The artist drew an illustration that takes up the entire double-page spread.)
• Ouvrez votre manuel à la double-page sur les châteaux de la Loire. (Open your textbook to the double-page spread on the Loire castles.)

The 'leaf' or 'folio' – le feuillet

The 'leaf' or 'folio' – le feuillet

The noun le feuillet refers to a 'leaf' or a single sheet of paper, especially one that is part of a larger collection like a book, notebook, or manuscript. It inherently implies two sides: a recto (front) and a verso (back).

While similar to la feuille (a sheet of paper), le feuillet is often used in more formal, literary, or administrative contexts. It emphasizes the page as an individual unit within a bound or organized set, aligning it with the English concept of a 'folio'.

From this noun comes the very useful verb feuilleter, which means 'to leaf through' or 'to flick through' the pages of a book, magazine, or document.

💡 * J'ai arraché un feuillet de mon carnet pour noter son numéro. (I tore a leaf from my notebook to write down his number.)

• Le manuscrit médiéval est composé de 150 feuillets en parchemin. (The medieval manuscript is made of 150 parchment folios.)
• Pouvez-vous me passer le feuillet d'inscription, s'il vous plaît ? (Can you please pass me the registration form?)
• Elle aime feuilleter les magazines chez le coiffeur. (She likes to flip through magazines at the hairdresser's.)

The 'front and back' of a page – le recto/le verso

When referring to the front and back of a page, sheet of paper, or card, the specific French terms are le recto for the front and le verso for the back. These terms are standard in printing, publishing, and formal contexts related to documents.

You will most commonly encounter le recto and le verso when discussing official documents, books, identity cards, or any flat, two-sided object where orientation matters. For example, a form might instruct you to fill out information on both sides, referring to them as the recto and the verso.

The most frequent use of these terms in everyday life is in the compound adjective recto-verso, which means double-sided. This is the standard term used for printing and photocopying. An impression recto-verso is a double-sided printout.

While recto and verso are precise, in more casual conversation for general objects (not necessarily pages), you might hear le devant (the front) and le dos or l'arrière (the back). However, for any paper, document, or card, recto and verso remain the correct and preferred terms.

💡 * Veuillez signer au recto du document. (Please sign on the front of the document.)

• Les informations importantes se trouvent au verso de la page. (The important information is on the back of the page.)
• Je voudrais une impression en couleur et en recto-verso, s'il vous plaît. (I would like a color, double-sided print, please.)
• Regarde au verso de la carte postale pour voir mon message. (Look on the back of the postcard to see my message.)

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

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

Our list features the most common ways to say “page” in French, covering the page of a book, a web page, and even historical contexts. However, French is a nuanced language, and there are always more specific or idiomatic terms to discover.

To find the perfect word, always consider the context. You can do an online search for phrases like “synonyme de page de livre” or “comment dire 'web page' en français” to find more specific vocabulary for your needs.

You might find some interesting synonyms for page on various lists. Before using a new word, be sure to check its definition and try to see it used in a few example sentences to understand its proper usage and connotation.

Pay attention as you read French books, browse French websites, and engage with French media. You'll naturally start to notice the subtle differences in how writers and speakers refer to different kinds of 'pages'.

If you're looking for more technical terms or related expressions, the Larousse or WordReference entries for page are fantastic resources. They often include compound nouns and phrases you won't find in a basic dictionary.

I hope this article was helpful. Learning a language is a journey of many chapters. To finish, here is a perfect French idiom: sometimes, the best thing to do is tourner la page—to turn the page and start something new. Happy learning!