Le papier is the most common way to say “paper” in French, and it's probably the first one you learned. But what if you're talking about a newspaper, an official document, or your ID? The French language, in its richness, offers a variety of terms for different kinds of "paper." Whether you're filling out forms, reading the news, or just stocking up on office supplies, knowing the right word is essential. Let’s dive into nine different ways to say "paper" in French and make sure you're always using the perfect term for the situation!

1. The standard 'paper' – le papier

The most fundamental and direct translation for 'paper' in French is le papier.

Le papier refers to the material itself—the substance you write on, print on, or use for crafts. It's the general-purpose term you'll use most often.

It's important to remember that le papier is a masculine noun. Therefore, you'll see it used with masculine articles like le or un. A single 'sheet of paper' is referred to as une feuille de papier.

While the plural form, les papiers, can mean 'multiple pieces of paper', it most commonly takes on a different meaning: 'documents', 'identification', or 'paperwork'.

The context makes the meaning clear. If a police officer asks for vos papiers, they want your identification, not blank sheets. If you are in a classroom and ask for du papier, you are asking for something to write on.

Papier is also a component in many compound nouns to specify the type of paper, such as papier toilette (toilet paper), papier cadeau (wrapping paper), or papier peint (wallpaper).

💡 * J'ai besoin d'une feuille de papier et d'un stylo.

• Pour voyager, n'oubliez pas vos papiers d'identité.
• Ce dessin est fait sur du papier de très bonne qualité.
• Le policier lui a demandé ses papiers.
• Il y a une pile de papiers à trier sur mon bureau.

The 'sheet of paper' – une feuille (de papier)

In French, the word une feuille literally translates to 'a leaf,' like one from a tree. This is its most fundamental meaning, which can sometimes cause confusion for learners.

However, context is crucial. When you're in an office, classroom, or discussing writing materials, une feuille is universally understood to mean 'a sheet of paper'. The setting removes any ambiguity.

If you want to be absolutely precise or if the context is unclear, you can use the full phrase une feuille de papier. This explicitly translates to 'a sheet of paper' and eliminates any doubt.

In most situations, French speakers will simply say une feuille because the context makes the meaning obvious. For instance, asking a classmate, Tu as une feuille ? ('Do you have a sheet of paper?') is perfectly natural. Adding de papier is often unnecessary but is never incorrect.

The plural is straightforward: des feuilles. You might hear someone say, Je vais prendre quelques feuilles pour prendre des notes ('I'm going to grab a few sheets to take notes').

💡 * Passe-moi une feuille, s'il te plaît. (Pass me a sheet of paper, please.)

• J'ai besoin d'une feuille de papier pour dessiner. (I need a sheet of paper to draw.)
• L'imprimante n'a plus de feuilles. (The printer is out of paper.)
• En automne, les feuilles des arbres sont magnifiques. (In autumn, the leaves on the trees are magnificent.)

The 'newspaper' – un journal

The most common word for a 'newspaper' in French is un journal. This is a masculine noun, as indicated by the article un. It refers to the daily or weekly publication you might buy at a newsstand (un kiosque) or read online.

Here's a key grammar point: French nouns ending in -al typically form their plural by changing the ending to -aux. So, the plural of un journal (one newspaper) is des journaux (newspapers).

Be aware that un journal also means a 'diary' or 'journal'—the kind you write your personal thoughts in. This is a common point of confusion for learners, making context very important.

To tell the difference, listen for the verb used. If someone says they lire le journal (read the newspaper), they are talking about news. If they écrire dans son journal (write in their diary), they are referring to a personal log. To be very specific, French speakers might say un journal intime for a personal diary.

The word journal is the root for other useful terms. A 'journalist' is un/une journaliste, and the television news broadcast is called le journal télévisé (often shortened to le JT).

💡 * Avez-vous lu le journal aujourd'hui ? (Have you read the newspaper today?)

• J'écris dans mon journal tous les soirs. (I write in my diary every evening.)
• Les journaux locaux ont parlé de l'événement. (The local newspapers talked about the event.)
• Mon père regarde le journal télévisé à 20 heures. (My father watches the 8 PM television news.)

The 'document' or 'ID papers' – un document or les papiers

In French, both un document and les papiers refer to official papers, but they are not always interchangeable. Understanding the nuance between them is key for proper context.

Un document is the direct equivalent of 'a document' in English. It's a broad term used for any single official paper, file, or record, such as a contract, a report, or a form that needs to be filled out.

The plural phrase les papiers specifically refers to a person's collection of identification papers. This typically includes an ID card (carte d'identité), passport (passeport), driver's license (permis de conduire), and vehicle registration (carte grise). It's the term you would hear during an official check.

Essentially, you might need un document for a single task, like signing a lease. However, when an authority figure asks for vos papiers, they are requesting your essential identity documents. Forgetting un document might be an inconvenience, but not having vos papiers can be a more serious issue.

💡 * Veuillez présenter un document d'identité avec photo. (Please present a photo identification document.)

• Le policier a demandé les papiers du véhicule. (The police officer asked for the vehicle's papers.)
• J'ai besoin de signer ce document avant la fin de la journée. (I need to sign this document before the end of the day.)
• N'oubliez pas vos papiers quand vous partez en voyage à l'étranger. (Don't forget your papers when you go on a trip abroad.)

The 'exam paper' – une copie

The 'exam paper' – une copie

In a French academic context, une copie refers to the physical exam paper, test sheet, or assignment that a student fills out and submits for grading.

This is a standard term used throughout the French education system. Teachers will often instruct students to 'Rendez vos copies' (Hand in your papers) at the end of an exam.

Be careful not to confuse une copie with une photocopie. While copie can mean a general 'copy,' in a school setting it specifically means the student's own work. For a machine-made duplicate, you would use une photocopie.

You might also encounter the term une copie double, which is a large, double-sided, lined sheet of paper that students are often required to use for exams and essays.

💡 * N'oubliez pas d'écrire votre nom en haut de la copie. (Don't forget to write your name at the top of the paper.)

• Le professeur corrige les copies ce week-end. (The teacher is grading the papers this weekend.)
• J'ai besoin d'une copie double pour l'examen de demain. (I need a double-sheet paper for tomorrow's exam.)

The 'wallpaper' – le papier peint

The French term for 'wallpaper' is le papier peint. This is a literal and direct translation, making it one of the easier vocabulary words for English speakers to learn and remember.

Let's look at the components: le papier means 'the paper', and peint is the past participle of the verb peindre (to paint). So, le papier peint literally means 'painted paper,' which is a perfect description of the product.

It's important to note that le papier peint is a masculine noun in French. You will always use masculine articles and agreements with it, such as un papier peint (a wallpaper) or le papier peint est beau (the wallpaper is beautiful).

When talking about the action of putting up wallpaper, the French commonly use the verb poser, as in poser du papier peint (to hang/put up wallpaper). To describe a room that is wallpapered, you can use the verb tapisser.

💡 * On a décidé de changer le papier peint de la chambre.

• J'aime beaucoup ce papier peint à motifs floraux.
• Poser du papier peint soi-même peut être difficile.
• Les murs sont tapissés d'un papier peint vintage.

The 'wrapping paper' – le papier cadeau

The French term for 'wrapping paper' is le papier cadeau.

This phrase literally translates to 'the gift paper.' It combines le papier (the paper) with cadeau (gift), making it easy to remember. Note that papier is a masculine noun, so it's always le or du papier cadeau.

You'll use this term when preparing presents for holidays or birthdays. The verb 'to wrap' is emballer. For example, you would say, J'ai besoin d'emballer ce cadeau (I need to wrap this gift).

💡 * J'ai besoin d'acheter du papier cadeau pour l'anniversaire de Marie. (I need to buy some wrapping paper for Marie's birthday.)

• Tu as choisi un très joli papier cadeau ! (You chose a very pretty wrapping paper!)
• Il ne reste plus de papier cadeau pour emballer les cadeaux de Noël. (There's no wrapping paper left to wrap the Christmas presents.)

The 'cardboard' – le carton

The word le carton is the direct French equivalent for 'cardboard.' It refers to the material itself as well as objects made from it, most commonly a 'cardboard box.'

Beyond simple boxes, un carton is also used for consumer packaging, similar to the English 'carton.' You'll often see it used for liquids or other goods, such as un carton de lait (a carton of milk) or un carton de cigarettes (a carton of cigarettes).

A very common and useful idiom is faire un carton, which means 'to be a huge success' or 'to be a big hit.' It’s used to describe the success of a film, a song, a book, or even a person.

In the world of sports, particularly soccer, le carton refers to the penalty cards. A carton jaune is a yellow card, and a carton rouge is a red card, used by the referee to penalize a player.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'un grand carton pour le déménagement. (I need a big cardboard box for the move.)

• N'oublie pas d'acheter un carton de jus d'orange. (Don't forget to buy a carton of orange juice.)
• Ce nouveau film d'action a fait un carton au box-office. (This new action movie was a huge hit at the box office.)
• Le joueur a reçu un carton jaune pour sa faute. (The player received a yellow card for his foul.)

1. The 'academic paper' – un article

In French, the most common term for an 'academic paper' or 'journal article' is un article. While this word can also mean a newspaper or magazine article, its meaning is usually clear from the context, especially in a university or research setting.

To be more precise and avoid any confusion, you can use more specific phrases like un article scientifique (a scientific paper) or un article de recherche (a research paper). These terms explicitly refer to scholarly work.

A frequent mistake for learners is to translate 'paper' literally to un papier. In French, un papier refers to a sheet of paper, a document, or sometimes a student's essay or term paper, but not a published academic article. For a scholarly publication in a journal, always use un article.

💡 * J'ai lu un article fascinant sur l'histoire médiévale. (I read a fascinating paper on medieval history.)

• Elle doit soumettre son article de recherche avant la date limite. (She has to submit her research paper before the deadline.)
• Cet article scientifique a été publié dans une revue prestigieuse. (This scientific paper was published in a prestigious journal.)
• Mon professeur a cité plusieurs articles dans sa présentation. (My professor cited several papers in his presentation.)

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

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

Our guide features the most common and essential ways to say “paper” in French. But French is a precise language, and there are many other specific terms, from technical vocabulary for official documents to everyday words for different paper types.

You can also do an online search for comment dire [type of paper] en français (how to say [type of paper] in French) to find words for things like 'tissue paper' or 'cardboard'.

You might find many interesting synonyms for papier on a list like this. Before using a new word, always check its definition and see how it’s used in context to make sure it fits your situation.

Pay attention as you read, work, and live in French contexts. You’ll start to notice when people ask for une feuille versus un papier, or refer to their identity papers as papiers.

And if you’re looking for more vocabulary related to paper and documents, the WordReference entry for papier is a fantastic place to start exploring!

I hope this article has been helpful! To finish, here's a classic French proverb that perfectly captures the importance of what we write on paper: Les paroles s’envolent, les écrits restent. (Spoken words fly away, written words remain.)