Une plante is the most common way to say “plant” in French. But just as a garden has more than one type of flower, the French language has several different words for “plant”.

As you learn French, you might find yourself describing your home, a beautiful park, or even a factory. Using the right term will make your French sound much more specific and natural!

Let’s dig in and discover 9 different ways to say “plant” in French, from tiny sprouts to large industrial facilities.

1. The standard 'plant' – une plante

The most common and straightforward word for 'plant' in French is une plante. This is your all-purpose term that will be understood in almost any context.

As indicated by the article une, plante is a feminine noun. It's a general term that can refer to a wide variety of flora, from a small houseplant on a windowsill to a flowering plant in a garden. It's the perfect go-to word when you don't need to be more specific.

A very frequent use of une plante is to refer to houseplants. If a French person says they are going to buy une plante, they most likely mean a potted plant for their home. For more specificity, you might hear une plante d'intérieur (an indoor plant) or une plante verte (a green plant, i.e., non-flowering).

While une plante is a broad term, it is generally not used for large, woody vegetation. For that, the French use a different word: un arbre (a tree). So, you would have une plante on your desk, but un arbre in the park.

It's also helpful to know the related verb, planter, which means 'to plant'. This verb is used for putting any kind of plant into the ground or a pot, from seeds (planter des graines) to trees (planter un arbre).

💡 * J'ai acheté une nouvelle plante pour mon salon.

• Les plantes ont besoin de lumière et d'eau pour survivre.
• C'est une plante grimpante qui pousse le long du mur.
• En automne, nous allons planter des bulbes dans le jardin.

The 'plant' in a botanical sense – un végétal

The 'plant' in a botanical sense – un végétal

When you need a term that covers the entire plant kingdom in a scientific or general biological sense, the French word is un végétal (plural: des végétaux). This is the most accurate and comprehensive term.

Un végétal is a broad, masculine noun that encompasses everything from trees (arbres) and flowers (fleurs) to mosses (mousses) and algae (algues). It refers to any living organism of the kingdom Plantae.

You'll most often encounter un végétal in academic, scientific, or formal contexts. Think biology textbooks, nature documentaries, or botanical garden labels. It’s the technical term, much like using 'flora' or 'vegetation' in English.

This word is crucial for distinguishing from the more common une plante. While une plante also means 'plant', it typically refers to smaller, non-woody plants like a houseplant or a garden herb. In short: every plante is a végétal, but not every végétal (like a giant oak tree) is called une plante in everyday language.

So, if you're discussing the biology of photosynthesis or the diversity of a forest ecosystem, un végétal is your go-to term. For the pot of basil on your windowsill, une plante is more appropriate.

💡 * L'arbre est un végétal, mais le champignon n'en est pas un.

• Les scientifiques étudient la croissance des végétaux en laboratoire.
• Le règne végétal est incroyablement diversifié.
• Certains végétaux peuvent survivre dans des conditions extrêmes.

The 'seedling' or 'sprout' to be planted – un plant

In French, when you're talking about a small, young plant that you intend to put in the ground—like a seedling or a sprout you've bought from a nursery—the word you're looking for is un plant.

It's crucial not to confuse un plant (masculine) with une plante (feminine). While une plante is the general term for any plant, un plant specifically refers to a young plant or seedling destined for transplantation. Think of it as a 'plant-to-be-planted'.

As a masculine noun, you'll always see it with masculine articles like un or le. It's often followed by de and the type of vegetable or flower. For example, un plant de tomates means 'a tomato seedling' or 'a tomato plant' (that you will plant).

The plural form is des plants. You would use this when talking about multiple seedlings, such as when you're getting your garden ready for spring: J'ai acheté des plants de salade (I bought some lettuce seedlings).

You'll most often hear un plant in the context of gardening, farming, or visiting a garden center (une pépinière). It's the specific vocabulary for the little green things you buy in small pots or trays to start your vegetable patch or flower bed.

💡 * J'ai acheté un plant de tomates au marché.

• Il faut arroser les jeunes plants tous les jours.
• Nous allons mettre en terre les plants de courgettes ce week-end.
• Chaque plant a besoin d'espace pour grandir.

The 'herb' – une herbe

The direct French translation for 'herb' is une herbe. It is a feminine noun, which is important to remember for article agreement, such as using une (a) or la (the).

A key pronunciation point is that the 'h' in herbe is silent (an h muet). This means you make a liaison with the preceding word. For example, les herbes is pronounced /lezɛʁb/.

You will commonly find this word used in cooking (les herbes aromatiques - aromatic herbs), gardening, and when referring to grass, especially in phrases like les hautes herbes (the tall grass).

A very common and useful expression is les mauvaises herbes, which literally means 'the bad herbs'. This is the standard French term for 'weeds'.

💡 * J'ajoute des herbes fraîches à ma salade. (I add fresh herbs to my salad.)

• Le jardin est envahi par les mauvaises herbes. (The garden is overgrown with weeds.)
• Attention aux tiques dans les hautes herbes. (Watch out for ticks in the tall grass.)
• Cette herbe a des propriétés médicinales. (This herb has medicinal properties.)

The 'shrub' or 'bush' – un arbuste

To talk about a 'shrub' or a 'bush' in French, you use the word un arbuste.

Un arbuste refers to a woody plant that is smaller than a tree, characterized by multiple stems branching out from the base. It's the standard term used in contexts like gardening, botany, and describing landscapes.

Remember that arbuste is a masculine noun. This means you must use masculine articles and agreements, such as un arbuste (a shrub) or l'arbuste est petit (the shrub is small).

The plural form is regular and straightforward: des arbustes. For example, you would say les arbustes du parc to mean 'the shrubs in the park'.

This is a common vocabulary word suitable for all levels of formality. It is not slang and can be used in any conversation about plants, nature, or gardens.

💡 * J'ai planté un nouvel arbuste près de la clôture. (I planted a new shrub near the fence.)

• Les arbustes à fleurs attirent les papillons. (Flowering shrubs attract butterflies.)
• Le jardinier doit tailler cet arbuste. (The gardener has to prune this bush.)
• On peut voir de nombreux arbustes dans cette forêt. (We can see many shrubs in this forest.)

The 'tree' – un arbre

The French word for 'tree' is un arbre. It is a masculine noun, so you always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as le or un. For example, you would say un grand arbre for 'a big tree'.

The pronunciation of arbre is approximately ar-bruh. The French 'r' is pronounced in the back of the throat, and the final 'e' is silent. The key is to blend the 'b' and 'r' sounds smoothly at the end.

The plural of un arbre is des arbres. The 's' at the end of arbres is typically silent. However, an important feature of French pronunciation called liaison occurs when it's followed by a vowel. For instance, in les arbres (the trees), the 's' is pronounced like a 'z' sound, connecting it to arbres: les-Z-arbres.

Beyond its literal meaning, arbre is used in several common phrases. An arbre de Noël is a 'Christmas tree', and an arbre généalogique is a 'family tree'. This shows its versatility in everyday vocabulary.

💡 * Il y a un bel arbre dans le parc.

• En automne, les feuilles des arbres changent de couleur.
• Nous avons planté un petit arbre pour son anniversaire.
• L'écureuil grimpe à l'arbre rapidement.

The 'flower' – une fleur

The French word for 'flower' is une fleur. It's a fundamental vocabulary word used to describe the blooming part of a plant.

As indicated by the article une, the noun fleur is feminine. This is crucial for correct adjective agreement, for example, you would say une jolie fleur (a pretty flower), not un joli fleur.

The plural form is des fleurs. This is used when referring to multiple flowers, a bouquet, or flowers in a general sense. For example, un bouquet de fleurs means 'a bouquet of flowers'.

💡 * J'ai acheté de belles fleurs pour le salon. (I bought beautiful flowers for the living room.)

• Quelle est ta fleur préférée ? (What is your favorite flower?)
• Au printemps, le jardin est plein de fleurs. (In the spring, the garden is full of flowers.)
• C'est une fleur rare et exotique. (It is a rare and exotic flower.)

The 'houseplant' – une plante d’intérieur

The “houseplant” – une plante d’intérieur

The most direct and common term for 'houseplant' in French is une plante d’intérieur. It literally translates to 'an indoor plant' or 'a plant of the interior'. The term is composed of plante (plant) and intérieur (interior/inside).

You will also frequently encounter the term une plante verte, which means 'a green plant'. While broader, in the context of home decoration, it's often used interchangeably with plante d’intérieur to refer to a foliage houseplant.

Remember that the word plante is a feminine noun. Therefore, you must use feminine articles like une or la and ensure any adjectives agree in gender. For example, 'a beautiful houseplant' is une belle plante d'intérieur.

💡 * J'ai beaucoup de plantes d'intérieur dans mon salon. (I have a lot of houseplants in my living room.)

• Cette plante d'intérieur a besoin de plus de lumière. (This houseplant needs more light.)
• On m'a offert une jolie plante verte pour mon bureau. (I was given a pretty houseplant for my office.)
• Arroser les plantes d'intérieur est une tâche relaxante. (Watering houseplants is a relaxing task.)

1. The 'vegetable' – un légume

The primary French word for 'vegetable' is un légume. An important detail to remember is that légume is a masculine noun. This means you will always use masculine articles with it, such as un (a/an) or le (the).

When referring to a single vegetable, you use un légume or le légume. For the plural form, 'vegetables', you use les légumes. For instance, if you want to say 'I like vegetables,' you would say, J'aime les légumes.

The word légume is frequently used in phrases related to food and health. The common pairing 'fruits and vegetables' is translated as les fruits et les légumes. A typical command you might hear is Mange tes légumes !, which means 'Eat your vegetables!'

Be careful not to confuse un légume with les légumineuses, which is a more specific term for 'legumes' or 'pulses' like lentils (les lentilles) and beans (les haricots). While all légumineuses are technically légumes, the reverse is not true.

💡 * La carotte est un légume orange. (The carrot is an orange vegetable.)

• J'achète des fruits et des légumes frais au marché. (I buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the market.)
• Pour être en bonne santé, il faut manger beaucoup de légumes. (To be healthy, you must eat a lot of vegetables.)
• Mon légume préféré est le brocoli. (My favorite vegetable is broccoli.)

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

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

Our list covers the most common ways to say 'plant' in French, from a houseplant to an industrial facility. However, French is rich with specific terms used in botany, agriculture, and regional dialects that you might encounter.

You can discover more specialized vocabulary by searching online for 'vocabulaire de la botanique' (botany vocabulary) or 'comment dire [type of plant] en français'.

Remember that context is crucial. A 'plante' in your home is very different from an 'usine' that manufactures goods. Always check a word's definition and try to see it used in a sentence before using it yourself.

Pay attention as you watch French gardening shows, read nature articles, or listen to news reports. You'll naturally discover different ways to talk about plants and industrial sites.

If you're looking for more words related to plants or industry, the WordReference entry for 'plante' is a fantastic place to start exploring synonyms and related concepts.

I hope this guide has helped your French vocabulary grow! To finish, here’s a fitting French proverb: 'Qui veut des fruits doit planter des arbres.' (He who wants fruits must plant trees.) It’s a wonderful reminder that language learning, like gardening, rewards patience and effort.