When you think of the word 'ship' in French, the first word that probably comes to mind is bateau. And you're not wrong! But French, a language with deep maritime roots, has a whole fleet of words for different kinds of vessels. From majestic sailing ships to humble fishing boats, knowing the right word can make your French sound much more precise and native-like. So, hoist the sails and get ready to navigate the waters of French vocabulary! Let's dive into nine different ways to say 'ship' in French.

1. The standard 'ship' or 'vessel' – Le navire

Le navire is the standard French word for a 'ship' or 'vessel'. It’s the term you would use when specifically referring to a large, sea-faring boat.

Navire is a masculine noun, so it always uses masculine articles. Remember these forms:

un navire - a ship
le navire - the ship
les navires - the ships (plural)

This word is often found in more formal, technical, or literary contexts. You'll see it used when discussing maritime transport, naval operations, or in classic literature. In everyday casual conversation, the more general term bateau (boat) is often used, even for larger ships.

The primary difference lies in size and function. A navire is specifically a large vessel designed for the sea (e.g., a cargo ship, cruise liner, or warship). Bateau is a much broader term for any kind of boat, from a small fishing boat to a ferry. A simple rule is: all navires are bateaux, but not all bateaux are navires.

Because navire is a general term for a large ship, it's often paired with another noun to describe its purpose. This creates more specific and useful vocabulary:

un navire de croisière - a cruise ship
un navire de guerre - a warship
un navire marchand - a merchant ship
un navire de pêche - a fishing vessel

💡 * Le navire a quitté le port à l'aube. (The ship left the port at dawn.)

C'est un immense navire marchand qui transporte des conteneurs. (It's a huge merchant ship that transports containers.)

L'équipage prépare le navire pour une longue traversée. (The crew is preparing the ship for a long crossing.)

Les touristes ont embarqué sur le navire de croisière. (The tourists boarded the cruise ship.)

1. The common 'boat' or 'ship' – Le bateau

When you need a general, all-purpose word for a “boat” or a “ship” in French, le bateau is your go-to term.

Le bateau is an incredibly versatile masculine noun that covers a wide range of water vessels. Whether you're talking about a small fishing boat, a sailboat, a ferry, or even a large cruise ship, le bateau is almost always a correct and natural choice.

While French has more specific words for different types of vessels (like un navire for a large ship or une barque for a small rowboat), le bateau serves as the perfect umbrella term that everyone understands. Think of it like the word “vehicle” for things on the road; it’s rarely wrong.

You'll hear le bateau used in everyday conversations, from booking a trip to simply pointing one out on the water. Phrases like prendre le bateau (to take the boat) or the famous bateaux-mouches (tour boats in Paris) are extremely common.

Unlike the English distinction between “boat” (smaller) and “ship” (larger), le bateau doesn't carry a strong size connotation on its own. The size is usually understood from the context. For example, if you're talking about crossing the Atlantic, le bateau clearly refers to a large ship.

💡 * Le bateau quitte le port à 8h du matin.

Nous avons fait une promenade en bateau sur la Seine.

C'est un gros bateau de croisière.

Attention, le plancher du bateau est glissant.

The large 'vessel' or 'warship' – Le vaisseau

When you need to describe a large, impressive ship in French, you'll often turn to the masculine noun le vaisseau. This word goes beyond a simple boat, carrying connotations of size, importance, and specific functions, much like the English word 'vessel'.

The primary meaning of vaisseau is a large ship. While un bateau can be any boat from a small fishing boat to a ferry, un vaisseau specifically refers to something substantial. Think of a large sea-faring vessel, not a dinghy. It's a term used for ships of a certain scale and significance.

One of the most common contexts for vaisseau is in military terminology. The term vaisseau de guerre directly translates to 'warship'. If you're discussing naval fleets or historical sea battles, this is the word you'll encounter.

Venturing into science fiction, vaisseau is the go-to term for a spaceship. Le vaisseau spatial is the standard French term for spacecraft, from the Starship Enterprise (le vaisseau Enterprise) to the Millennium Falcon.

Interestingly, vaisseau also has a critical meaning in anatomy. A vaisseau sanguin is a 'blood vessel'. This figurative use is quite common, so it's important to recognize it to avoid confusion when reading medical or biological texts.

In summary, use le vaisseau for large, significant ships, especially warships (vaisseau de guerre) and spaceships (vaisseau spatial). Remember its important secondary meaning in anatomy (vaisseau sanguin). For general-purpose boats, stick with le bateau.

💡 * Le capitaine a donné l'ordre de préparer le vaisseau pour le départ.

C'est un ancien vaisseau de guerre qui est maintenant un musée.

Le vaisseau spatial a voyagé pendant des années entre les galaxies.

Une bonne circulation dans les vaisseaux sanguins est essentielle pour la santé.

The 'liner' or 'cruise ship' – Le paquebot

In French, le paquebot is the specific term for a large passenger ship, translating directly to 'liner', 'ocean liner', or 'cruise ship'.

It's important to note that paquebot is a masculine noun. You will always use masculine articles like le (the) or un (a), for example, un grand paquebot (a big liner).

This term is reserved for very large vessels designed for long-distance sea travel, like transatlantic crossings or luxury cruises. It distinguishes these ships from a general boat (un bateau) or a smaller ferry (un ferry).

The word originates from the English 'packet boat,' which were mail ships. The term evolved in French to describe the large passenger liners that became the primary mode of long-distance sea travel.

💡 * Le paquebot est immense et luxueux. (The cruise ship is immense and luxurious.)

Nous avons fait une croisière en paquebot dans les Caraïbes. (We went on a cruise ship in the Caribbean.)

Le paquebot quittera le port demain matin. (The liner will leave the port tomorrow morning.)

Mon grand-père a traversé l'Atlantique en paquebot en 1950. (My grandfather crossed the Atlantic on an ocean liner in 1950.)

The 'cargo ship' – Le cargo

Le cargo is the French word for a 'cargo ship' or 'freighter.' It specifically refers to a large vessel designed to transport goods in bulk, not passengers.

In French, cargo is a masculine noun. You should always use masculine articles like un cargo (a cargo ship) or le cargo (the cargo ship).

The word cargo is an international term, borrowed from the Spanish word for 'load,' which makes it a cognate and easy for many learners to recognize.

This is a standard vocabulary word used in formal and informal contexts, particularly in discussions about shipping, trade, logistics, and maritime news. It is not slang.

💡 * Le cargo transporte des milliers de conteneurs. (The cargo ship is transporting thousands of containers.)

Un cargo a quitté le port de Marseille hier soir. (A freighter left the port of Marseille last night.)

Nous avons vu un énorme cargo à l'horizon. (We saw a huge cargo ship on the horizon.)

Le déchargement du cargo prendra toute la journée. (Unloading the cargo ship will take all day.)

The 'sailboat' – Le voilier

The primary French word for a 'sailboat' is le voilier. It's a masculine noun that encompasses most types of boats powered by sails.

The word voilier is directly derived from its most important component: la voile, which means 'the sail.' So, a voilier is literally a 'sail-er' or a boat equipped with sails.

Sailing, or faire de la voile, is a very popular sport and leisure activity in France, especially along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. You will frequently hear the word voilier in coastal towns and discussions about water sports.

While le voilier is the general term, you might also hear specific types like un catamaran or un dériveur (a dinghy). The action of sailing is described by the verb naviguer or the expression faire de la voile.

Always remember that voilier is a masculine noun. This means you must use masculine articles and agreements, such as le voilier, un voilier, or mon voilier.

💡 * Nous avons loué un voilier pour le week-end.

Le voilier navigue rapidement grâce au vent fort.

Regarde ce magnifique voilier blanc sur la mer !

Mon oncle est le capitaine de ce grand voilier.

The 'ferry' – Le ferry

One of the easiest French travel words for English speakers to learn is le ferry. This word is a direct loanword from English and retains the same meaning: a boat that transports people and vehicles across a body of water.

In French, ferry is a masculine noun. Therefore, you will always see it used with masculine articles like un or le. For example, you would say un ferry for 'a ferry' and le ferry for 'the ferry'.

The term is commonly used when discussing travel, particularly between mainland France and places like Corsica, the UK, or Ireland. The key phrase to know is prendre le ferry, which means 'to take the ferry'.

💡 * Nous devons prendre le ferry pour aller en Angleterre.

Le ferry arrive au port dans une heure.

Est-ce que ce ferry transporte aussi des voitures ?

J'ai acheté les billets pour le ferry de 8h.

The 'small boat' or 'rowboat' – La barque

The 'small boat' or 'rowboat' – La barque

In French, la barque refers to a small, open boat, typically a rowboat or dinghy. It's the kind of simple vessel you would use on calm waters like a lake, pond, or a gentle river, usually propelled by oars (rames).

It's important not to confuse la barque with le bateau. While le bateau is the general term for any boat or ship, la barque is specific to small, simple boats. You would never call a ferry or a yacht a barque.

You'll often encounter this word in the idiom mener sa barque, which literally translates to 'to lead one's boat'. Figuratively, it means 'to manage one's own affairs' or 'to run one's own life successfully'.

💡 * On a fait une promenade en barque sur le canal. (We went for a boat ride on the canal.)

Le vieux pêcheur ramait lentement dans sa barque. (The old fisherman was rowing slowly in his rowboat.)

Depuis qu'elle a lancé son entreprise, elle mène bien sa barque. (Since she started her company, she has been managing her affairs well.)

1. The Word for 'Yacht': Le yacht

Fortunately for English speakers, the French word for 'yacht' is a direct borrowing from English: yacht. This makes it a very easy word to remember.

The most crucial point to learn is the gender. In French, yacht is a masculine noun. This means you must always use the masculine articles le (the) or un (a/an). You would say un yacht for 'a yacht' and le yacht for 'the yacht'.

While the spelling is the same, the pronunciation is distinctly French. It is pronounced roughly like /jɔt/. The 'y' sounds like the 'y' in the English word "yes," and the 'ch' is silent. The final 't' is pronounced softly.

To make the word plural, you simply add an 's' as you would in English, making it les yachts. The final 's' is silent, as is typical in French.

💡 * Il rêve d'acheter un yacht pour naviguer en Méditerranée. (He dreams of buying a yacht to sail in the Mediterranean.)

Le yacht de luxe est amarré dans le port de Saint-Tropez. (The luxury yacht is moored in the port of Saint-Tropez.)

Nous avons été invités à une fête sur un yacht. (We were invited to a party on a yacht.)

Le port est rempli de magnifiques yachts. (The harbor is full of magnificent yachts.)

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

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

Our list features the most essential ways to say “ship” in French, from the all-purpose bateau to the more specific navire. But given France's rich maritime history, the language is filled with countless other terms—some are highly technical, others historical, and many specific to a certain type of vessel.

You can expand your knowledge by doing an online search for “vocabulaire maritime français” or “types de bateaux en français” to discover more specialized vocabulary.

You might find some fascinating synonyms for bateau in your research. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and context. A péniche (a river barge) is very different from a paquebot (an ocean liner), and using the right word shows a deeper understanding.

Pay attention as you read French literature (especially classics by authors like Jules Verne), watch historical films, or visit maritime museums. You will undoubtedly encounter a vast and interesting world of nautical terms.

And if you’re looking to understand the subtle differences between various types of ships, the WordReference or Larousse dictionary entries for bateau and navire are great places to start!

I hope this guide has helped you navigate the French words for 'ship'. To finish, here is a fitting quote often attributed to John A. Shedd: Un navire est en sécurité dans un port, mais ce n'est pas pour cela qu'il a été construit. (A ship is safe in harbor, but that is not what ships are built for.) May your language learning journey be a bold and rewarding voyage!

'9 ways to say "ship" in French'