Arbre is the most common way to say “tree” in French, and it's probably the first word you learned! But just like in English, there are several other options to describe different kinds of trees, or even the concept of a tree in a more specific way.

As you learn French, you'll encounter trees everywhere – in literature, in conversation, and in the beautiful landscapes around you. Knowing these variations will help you describe them with more precision and fluency.

Let’s branch out and explore 9 different ways to say “tree” in French!

The standard 'tree' – l'arbre

L'arbre is the most common and standard word for 'tree' in French.

In French, arbre is a masculine noun. It changes form based on number:

arbre - a single tree (masculine singular)
les arbres - multiple trees (masculine plural)

It can be used in any context, from scientific discussions to everyday conversations, making it your essential word for 'tree'.

Beyond its literal meaning, l'arbre also appears in various idiomatic expressions and can symbolize concepts like life or knowledge.

As a masculine noun starting with a vowel, arbre uses l' as its definite article (l'arbre) and un as its indefinite article (un arbre). When referring to 'in/on the tree', you'll often use dans l'arbre (in the tree, e.g., a bird's nest) or sur l'arbre (on the tree, e.g., an insect on the bark).

For example, you would say Un oiseau a fait son nid dans l'arbre (A bird made its nest in the tree) or Les feuilles tombent des arbres en automne (Leaves fall from the trees in autumn).

While l'arbre is standard, specific types of trees have their own names (e.g., le chêne for oak, le pin for pine). However, arbre can generally refer to any of them if the specific type isn't important.

Understanding the context usually makes it clear whether l'arbre refers to a literal tree or is part of an expression. For instance, l'arbre généalogique clearly means 'family tree', not just any tree.

Trees hold significant cultural value in France, often associated with nature, history, and proverbs like Tel arbre, tel fruit (Like father, like son, literally 'Such tree, such fruit'), emphasizing their deep roots in the language and psyche.

💡 * L'arbre est grand. (The tree is tall.)

J'adore me promener sous les arbres. (I love walking under the trees.)

C'est un vieil arbre. (It's an old tree.)

Les oiseaux chantent dans les arbres. (The birds sing in the trees.)

Il a planté un nouvel arbre dans le jardin. (He planted a new tree in the garden.)

The 'young tree' or 'sapling' – la jeune pousse

The 'young tree' or 'sapling' – la jeune pousse

In its most direct sense, la jeune pousse literally translates to “the young shoot” or “the young growth”, commonly referring to a sapling or a young tree.

You'll encounter la jeune pousse in botanical contexts when discussing forestry, gardening, or agriculture, specifically to describe a newly sprouted plant or a small tree that is still developing.

Beyond its literal botanical meaning, la jeune pousse is also widely used metaphorically in French to describe something or someone that is young, promising, and full of potential.

This often applies to a new talent, an emerging company, a startup, or any new initiative that shows great promise for future growth and success, much like a young plant poised to become a strong tree.

The analogy is powerful: just as a sapling needs care to grow into a mature tree, a 'jeune pousse' in a professional or creative field needs nurturing to reach its full potential. It evokes a sense of freshness, vitality, and future significance.

So, whether you're talking about a literal plant or a burgeoning talent, la jeune pousse always carries the connotation of exciting, unfulfilled potential.

💡 La jeune pousse a besoin de beaucoup d'eau pour grandir. (The sapling needs a lot of water to grow.)
*Cette start-up est une jeune pousse très prometteuse dans le secteur de la technologie. (This startup is a very promising young company in the tech sector.)
*Nous devons soutenir les jeunes pousses de notre région. (We must support the young talents/emerging businesses in our region.)
*Le jardinier a planté plusieurs jeunes pousses le long de l'allée. (The gardener planted several saplings along the path.)
*Il est considéré comme une jeune pousse du cinéma français. (He is considered an emerging talent in French cinema.)

The 'shrub' or 'small tree' – l'arbuste

In French, l'arbuste (masculine noun) refers to a shrub or a small tree.

An arbuste is typically a woody plant smaller than a full-grown tree, often characterized by multiple stems branching from or near the ground, rather than a single, dominant trunk.

You'll commonly encounter the term l'arbuste in contexts related to gardening, landscaping, botany, or describing natural vegetation where smaller woody plants are present.

It's a masculine noun, so you'll use un arbuste (a shrub/small tree) in the singular. The plural form is des arbustes (shrubs/small trees).

While both are woody plants, the primary distinction is size and structure: an arbuste is smaller and often multi-stemmed, whereas un arbre (a tree) is larger with a single, distinct trunk that branches higher up.

The word arbuste comes from the Latin arbuscula, a diminutive of arbor (tree), highlighting its meaning as a 'small tree' or 'treelet'.

💡 * Nous avons planté de nouveaux arbustes dans le jardin. (We planted new shrubs in the garden.)

Cet arbuste fleurit magnifiquement au printemps. (This shrub flowers beautifully in spring.)

Les arbustes de haies sont essentiels pour l'intimité. (Hedge shrubs are essential for privacy.)

Un jeune chêne est encore un petit arbuste. (A young oak is still a small shrub.)

The 'fruit tree' – l'arbre fruitier

The 'fruit tree' – l'arbre fruitier

L'arbre fruitier means 'the fruit tree' in French. It refers to any tree cultivated for its edible fruit, such as apples, pears, or cherries.

As arbre (tree) is a masculine noun in French, l'arbre fruitier is also masculine. It is used to specifically describe a tree that produces fruit, distinguishing it from ornamental trees.

💡 * Mon jardin a plusieurs arbres fruitiers. (My garden has several fruit trees.)

Nous avons planté un nouvel arbre fruitier ce printemps. (We planted a new fruit tree this spring.)

Les arbres fruitiers sont en fleurs. (The fruit trees are in bloom.)

Ce verger est plein d'arbres fruitiers magnifiques. (This orchard is full of magnificent fruit trees.)

The 'pine tree' or 'conifer' – le conifère

The 'pine tree' or 'conifer' – le conifère

Le conifère is the standard French term for a conifer, which includes trees like pines, firs, spruces, and cedars. These trees are characterized by their cones and needle-like or scale-like leaves.

Derived from Latin conifer, meaning 'cone-bearing', the term directly reflects the defining characteristic of these trees: their reproductive cones.

You'll commonly encounter le conifère in botanical contexts, gardening discussions, or when referring to forests and landscapes dominated by these evergreen trees. It's a precise, scientific term but also used in general language.

While le conifère is a general, umbrella term for the entire group, specific types like le pin (pine) and le sapin (fir) are used when referring to individual species. For instance, 'A pine tree is a conifer' would be 'Un pin est un conifère'.

Remember that le conifère is a masculine noun, so it takes masculine articles and adjectives. Its pronunciation is /kɔ.ni.fɛʁ/.

💡 * J'adore l'odeur des conifères en forêt. (I love the smell of conifers in the forest.)

Les conifères sont souvent utilisés pour les haies de jardin. (Conifers are often used for garden hedges.)

Ce parc abrite une grande variété de conifères. (This park is home to a wide variety of conifers.)

Le sapin est un type de conifère très populaire à Noël. (The fir is a very popular type of conifer at Christmas.)

Les conifères gardent leurs aiguilles toute l'année. (Conifers keep their needles all year round.)

The 'deciduous tree' – l'arbre à feuilles caduques

In English, a "deciduous tree" is one that sheds its leaves seasonally, typically in autumn. The direct French equivalent for this botanical term is l'arbre à feuilles caduques.

Let's break down this French phrase:<ul><li>L'arbre: means "the tree".</li><li>À: means "with" or "having".</li><li>Feuilles: means "leaves".</li><li>Caduques: is the feminine plural form of caduc, meaning "caducous" or "shedding". It describes something destined to fall off.</li></ul>So, literally, it means "the tree with shedding leaves".

This term is used in both formal botanical contexts and general conversation when precision is required. When talking about trees that lose their leaves, you would use this specific phrase. Common examples of arbres à feuilles caduques include the oak (le chêne), the maple (l'érable), and the birch (le bouleau).

To further clarify, an "evergreen tree" in French is called un arbre à feuilles persistantes (a tree with persistent leaves), highlighting the direct contrast in their leaf retention characteristics.

💡 * En automne, l'arbre à feuilles caduques perd ses feuilles pour l'hiver.

Le chêne est un excellent exemple d'arbre à feuilles caduques.

Nous avons planté des arbres à feuilles caduques et des arbres à feuilles persistantes dans notre parc.

Les feuilles caduques forment un tapis coloré sur le sol en automne.

The 'evergreen tree' – l'arbre à feuilles persistantes

When talking about an "evergreen tree" in French, the most common and precise term you'll encounter is l'arbre à feuilles persistantes.

The phrase literally translates to "tree with persistent leaves," which perfectly describes the characteristic of an evergreen: its leaves remain on the tree throughout the year, unlike deciduous trees that shed their leaves seasonally.

The noun arbre (tree) is masculine, so it's un arbre. Feuilles (leaves) is feminine and plural. The adjective persistantes (persistent) agrees with feuilles. While arbre à feuilles persistantes is the full, technical term, sometimes you might hear just un persistant in a more informal, botanical context, though this is less common for general conversation.

💡 * Le sapin est un exemple classique d'arbre à feuilles persistantes. (The fir tree is a classic example of an evergreen tree.)

Mon jardin a plusieurs arbres à feuilles persistantes qui restent verts même en hiver. (My garden has several evergreen trees that stay green even in winter.)

Les forêts de conifères sont souvent composées d'arbres à feuilles persistantes. (Coniferous forests are often made up of evergreen trees.)

J'aime la beauté des feuilles persistantes, même sous la neige. (I love the beauty of evergreen leaves, even under the snow.)

The 'family tree' (metaphorical) – l'arbre généalogique

In French, l'arbre généalogique literally translates to 'the genealogical tree.' It's used to represent the lineage of a family, showing relationships between ancestors and descendants.

While primarily associated with family history, l'arbre généalogique is also commonly used metaphorically. It can describe the evolution or lineage of anything, from a company's structure to the development of an idea or concept.

This term is central to the field of généalogie (genealogy), the study of family history. Understanding l'arbre généalogique is key to discussing ancestry in French.

💡 * J'ai commencé à construire mon arbre généalogique pour découvrir mes origines. (I started building my family tree to discover my origins.)

L'arbre généalogique de cette entreprise montre une longue histoire d'innovations. (The family tree of this company shows a long history of innovations.)

Les historiens tracent l'arbre généalogique des philosophies antiques. (Historians trace the family tree of ancient philosophies.)

Elle a découvert un ancêtre célèbre en explorant son arbre généalogique. (She discovered a famous ancestor by exploring her family tree.)

The 'wooded area' or 'woods' (where trees are) – le bois

The French word for a 'wooded area' or 'woods' (where trees are growing) is le bois.

When referring to a specific, often smaller wooded area, you'll use the singular form: le bois. However, if you're talking about 'the woods' in a general sense, or multiple wooded areas, the plural les bois is commonly used.

While le bois often refers to a smaller, more manageable wooded area, the term la forêt is generally used for a larger, denser forest. Think of le bois as a 'copse' or 'grove' and la forêt as a vast 'forest'.

It's important to note that bois also has other meanings in French. It can refer to 'wood' as a material (e.g., du bois for firewood or timber) or even 'antlers' or 'horns' (e.g., les bois d'un cerf for a deer's antlers).

💡 *Nous nous sommes promenés dans le bois. (We walked in the woods.)
*Les enfants adorent jouer dans les bois. (The children love to play in the woods.)
*Il y a un petit bois derrière notre maison. (There is a small wooded area behind our house.)
*Le bûcheron coupait du bois dans la forêt. (The lumberjack was cutting wood in the forest.)
*Les bois de cerf sont impressionnants. (The deer's antlers are impressive.)

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

Our list features the most common ways to say 'tree' in French. But French, like nature itself, is rich with descriptive terms for trees, from specific species to poetic expressions.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire arbre en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region, or even a specific type of tree.

You might find some interesting synonyms or specific terms for arbre. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — especially nature documentaries, literature, or travel vlogs — you may discover different ways to talk about trees.

And if you’re looking for more specific terms for different types of trees, or words related to trees and forestry in French, the WordReference entry for arbre is a great place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is the perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Victor Hugo: "L'arbre est le plus grand monument de la terre." (The tree is the greatest monument on Earth.)

9 ways to say "tree" in French