When you first learn French, you're taught that un pantalon is the word for 'trousers' or 'pants'. And while that's absolutely correct, it's just the tip of the iceberg! Just like in English, French has a whole wardrobe of words for this everyday item, from formal terms to casual slang.

Knowing these different options will make your French sound much more natural and help you understand what people are really saying.

So, are you ready to upgrade your vocabulary? Let's take a look at 9 common ways to say 'trousers' in French!

1. The standard 'trousers' or 'pants' – le pantalon

The standard and most widely used word for 'trousers' or 'pants' in French is le pantalon.

Le pantalon is the direct equivalent of 'trousers' in British English and 'pants' in American English. It's a versatile term that you can use in any situation, from formal to casual.

A crucial point for learners: pantalon is a masculine noun. This means you always use masculine articles and adjectives with it:

• un pantalon: a pair of pants
• le pantalon: the pants
• ce pantalon: these pants (referring to one pair)

The plural form, for multiple pairs, is les pantalons.

Unlike in English where we say 'a pair of pants' (plural), French refers to a single garment in the singular: un pantalon. This is a common point of confusion. You only use the plural des pantalons when you are talking about more than one pair.

You'll often see pantalon combined with other words to describe a specific style. For example:

• un pantalon de costume: suit trousers
• un pantalon chino: chinos
• un pantalon de sport: sweatpants or track pants
• un pantalon large: wide-leg pants

For British English speakers, it's helpful to know that while 'pants' means underwear in the UK, the French word le pantalon never refers to underwear. The French words for that are un slip or une culotte.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'un nouveau pantalon pour le travail.

• Ce pantalon noir est très élégant.
• Combien coûtent ces pantalons dans la vitrine ?
• Il a taché son pantalon avec du café.
• Elle préfère porter des pantalons plutôt que des jupes.

1. The 'jeans' – le jean

The French word for 'jeans' is quite simple: le jean. It's a direct borrowing from English, but with a key difference in grammar. In French, when referring to a single pair of jeans, the word is treated as a masculine, singular noun.

This is a common point of confusion for English speakers. While in English we say 'a pair of jeans', in French you simply say un jean. The word itself implies the pair. For example, 'I am wearing jeans' translates to Je porte un jean.

Because jean is a regular noun, you can describe it with adjectives just like any other piece of clothing. These adjectives must agree in gender and number. Since jean is masculine singular, the adjective will also be in its masculine singular form, such as un jean bleu (blue jeans) or un jean usé (worn-out jeans).

If you are talking about more than one pair of jeans, you simply use the plural form: des jeans. For example, 'I bought two pairs of jeans' would be J'ai acheté deux jeans.

Just like in the Anglophone world, le jean is a fundamental part of casual wear in France. You'll see it everywhere, from students in university to professionals on their day off, making it an essential vocabulary word for everyday life and shopping.

💡 * J'ai besoin d'un nouveau jean pour le week-end.

• Ce jean slim te va parfaitement.
• Elle a plusieurs jeans dans sa garde-robe.
• Mon jean préféré est un jean noir délavé.
• Il a déchiré son jean en tombant de vélo.

The 'slacks' or 'dress pants' – le pantalon de costume

When you need to refer to more formal trousers, such as 'slacks' or 'dress pants', the most accurate French term is le pantalon de costume.

Literally, this phrase translates to 'the pants of a suit'. This is a key memory aid, as it directly links the trousers to a formal or business suit context.

You would use le pantalon de costume to describe trousers worn in professional, business, or formal settings. It specifically denotes pants made from suiting fabric, distinguishing them from more casual options.

The term is masculine. The singular form is un pantalon de costume (a pair of dress pants). The plural, referring to multiple pairs, is des pantalons de costume.

While the general word un pantalon means 'pants' or 'trousers', adding de costume provides crucial specificity, much like the difference between 'pants' and 'dress pants' in English. It immediately signals a higher level of formality.

💡 * Il doit acheter un pantalon de costume pour la cérémonie.

• Mon pantalon de costume est gris foncé.
• Elle a assorti sa veste avec un pantalon de costume noir.
• Ce pantalon de costume est trop serré, je dois l'échanger.

The 'sweatpants' or 'joggers' – le pantalon de jogging

The primary French term for 'sweatpants' or 'joggers' is le pantalon de jogging.

Breaking it down, le pantalon means 'the pants' and de jogging means 'for jogging.' So, the literal translation is 'pants for jogging,' which is a very direct and descriptive term.

In everyday conversation, French speakers almost always shorten this to just le jogging. This is the most common and casual way you'll hear it used.

The term is masculine, both in its long form (le pantalon de jogging) and its short form (le jogging). Always use masculine articles like un, le, or mon.

💡 * J'aime porter un pantalon de jogging confortable à la maison.

• Il a acheté un nouveau jogging pour le week-end.
• Tu as vu mon jogging gris ?
• Elle ne met jamais de jogging pour sortir.

The 'leggings' – le legging

The French word for 'leggings' is an easy one for English speakers: le legging. It's a direct loanword from English and refers to the exact same style of tight-fitting, stretchy pants.

The most important thing for a learner to remember is its grammatical gender. In French, 'legging' is a masculine noun. You must always say le legging (the leggings) or un legging (a pair of leggings).

The plural form also follows the English rule, simply adding an 's': les leggings. So, while un legging refers to a single pair, des leggings refers to multiple pairs.

This term is universally used and understood in modern France, particularly in contexts of fashion, fitness, and casual wear. It's not considered slang; it's the standard, common word.

💡 * J'ai acheté un nouveau legging pour le sport. (I bought a new pair of leggings for sports.)

• Ce legging noir est très confortable. (These black leggings are very comfortable.)
• Elle porte souvent des leggings avec un grand pull. (She often wears leggings with a big sweater.)

The 'overalls' – la salopette

The primary French word for 'overalls' or 'dungarees' is la salopette. It's a feminine noun, so any accompanying articles and adjectives must agree. For example, you would say une salopette bleue for 'blue overalls'.

Interestingly, the word salopette is derived from the adjective sale, which means 'dirty.' This reflects the garment's original purpose as protective workwear that was expected to get soiled. The suffix -ope is a pejorative, reinforcing the idea of something meant for dirty tasks.

Today, la salopette has shed its purely utilitarian image and is a common fashion item, particularly for women and children. You'll frequently encounter it as une salopette en jean (denim overalls) or even une salopette-robe (an overall dress), showing its evolution from workwear to chic apparel.

A key grammatical point for English speakers is that 'overalls' is a plural noun, while la salopette is singular. To talk about one pair, you use the singular form: J'ai acheté une salopette (I bought overalls). The plural, des salopettes, would only be used if you are referring to multiple distinct pairs.

💡 * Elle porte une salopette en jean pour le festival. (She is wearing denim overalls for the festival.)

• Mon père met sa vieille salopette pour faire de la peinture. (My dad puts on his old overalls to paint.)
• Les enfants jouent dans le parc avec leurs salopettes. (The children are playing in the park in their overalls.)

The slang for 'pants' – le futal

While the standard French word for 'pants' is un pantalon, in informal and slang contexts, you'll often hear le futal. This is a masculine noun used to refer to a pair of trousers in a very casual way.

Le futal belongs to the register of argot (French slang). It's the kind of word you'd use with close friends, but not in a formal or professional setting. Think of it as the equivalent of saying 'slacks' or 'trousers' in a very laid-back manner.

The word is always masculine: un futal or le futal. You might also encounter its even shorter, more familiar version, le fute. Both terms refer to a single pair of pants.

💡 * J'ai mis mon vieux futal pour jardiner. (I put on my old pants to do some gardening.)

• T'as vu le prix de ce futal ? C'est une fortune ! (Did you see the price of those pants? It's a fortune!)
• Il a une tache sur son futal. (He has a stain on his pants.)

The 'capri pants' – le pantacourt

The “capri pants” – le pantacourt

Le pantacourt is the go-to French term for capri pants or any pants that end mid-calf. The word is a clever portmanteau, blending pantalon (pants) and court (short).

It's important to note that pantacourt is a masculine noun. So, you would say un pantacourt (a pair of capri pants) or le pantacourt (the capri pants). The plural form simply adds an 's': des pantacourts.

While pantacourt is very common, you might also hear the term le corsaire. Le corsaire often refers to a slightly shorter, tighter-fitting style, similar to pedal pushers, but the two are frequently used interchangeably.

💡 * J'adore porter un pantacourt quand il fait chaud. (I love wearing capri pants when it's hot.)

• Elle a acheté un pantacourt en jean pour ses vacances. (She bought denim capri pants for her vacation.)
• Pour la randonnée, je préfère un pantacourt à un short. (For hiking, I prefer capri pants to shorts.)
• Les pantacourts sont disponibles dans toutes les couleurs. (Capri pants are available in all colors.)

1. The 'corduroys' – le pantalon en velours côtelé

To say 'corduroys' in French, the most accurate term is le pantalon en velours côtelé. This phrase literally translates to 'the trousers in ribbed velvet'.

Let's break down the term. The fabric 'corduroy' itself is called velours côtelé. Velours means 'velvet,' and côtelé means 'ribbed.' So, when you say pantalon en velours côtelé, you are specifically describing trousers made from this ribbed, velvet-like material.

An important distinction from English is that French uses the singular form, un pantalon, to refer to a single pair of trousers. While in English you might say 'I am wearing corduroys' (plural), in French you would say Je porte un pantalon en velours côtelé (singular).

The term velours côtelé can be applied to any item made from corduroy. For instance, a corduroy jacket is une veste en velours côtelé, and a corduroy skirt is une jupe en velours côtelé. This makes the term very versatile.

💡 * J'adore mon pantalon en velours côtelé bleu marine. (I love my navy blue corduroys.)

• Pour l'hiver, il porte souvent un pantalon en velours côtelé. (For the winter, he often wears corduroys.)
• Elle a trouvé une belle jupe en velours côtelé au marché. (She found a beautiful corduroy skirt at the market.)
• Ce pantalon en velours côtelé est très confortable et chaud. (These corduroys are very comfortable and warm.)

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

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

Our list covers the most common ways to say “trousers” in French, from the standard un pantalon to specific types like un jean. However, the French language is rich with other terms, including regionalisms, old-fashioned words, and new slang.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for “comment dire pantalon en ___” and filling in the blank with a Francophone region like Québec, where you'll find des culottes is a common term for trousers.

Whenever you find a new synonym for pantalon, be sure to check its context. Is it formal or informal? Does it refer to a specific style? Seeing how native speakers use it is the best way to learn.

Pay attention when you're watching French films, reading fashion magazines, or shopping online in French. You'll start to notice the different words used for clothing and get a better feel for the nuances.

For a deeper dive into words for different types of trousers or related clothing items, the WordReference entry for pantalon is a fantastic resource for learners.

I hope this guide helps you dress your French vocabulary for success. To finish, here's a classic quote from fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent: La mode se démode, le style jamais. (Fashion fades, style is eternal.) Choosing the right word is always in style!