The most common way to say 'wood' in French is bois. Simple enough, right? But the French language, with its love for precision, offers a variety of terms depending on the context. Are you talking about the material used to build furniture, the firewood for a cozy evening, a small forest, or even a simple stick? Each of these might use a different word. As you expand your French vocabulary, understanding these nuances will make your language sound much more natural. Let's dive into the different ways to talk about 'wood' in French!

1. The standard 'wood' – le bois

Le bois is the most fundamental and widely used French word for 'wood'. It serves as the primary term for both the material and a wooded area, making it essential for beginners to master.

The most common use of le bois refers to the hard, fibrous material from trees. This is the word you use when talking about furniture, construction, or firewood. For example, you would say une table en bois (a wooden table) or couper du bois (to chop wood).

Importantly, le bois also means 'the woods' or a small forest. This is a frequent point of confusion for learners. Context is your best guide. If someone says, On se promène dans le bois (We're walking in the woods), they are referring to a place, not the material.

Le bois is a masculine noun, so it's always le bois or un bois. While un bois typically refers to a small forest, une forêt is used for a much larger, denser forest. Think of un bois as 'woods' and une forêt as 'a forest'.

A very useful French expression is toucher du bois, which is the direct equivalent of 'to knock on wood'. You use it to ward off bad luck. For instance: Pour l'instant, tout va bien... je touche du bois. (For now, everything is going well... knock on wood.)

💡 * Cette sculpture est en bois massif.

Allons nous promener dans le bois ce week-end.

Il a mis une bûche de bois dans la cheminée pour réchauffer la pièce.

Je n'ai jamais raté mon train, je touche du bois.

Les meubles en bois sont souvent plus chers.

The 'firewood' – le bois de chauffage

To talk about 'firewood' in French, the most accurate and common term is le bois de chauffage.

This phrase literally translates to 'the wood of heating.' It's a compound noun: le bois means 'wood,' and le chauffage means 'heating.' This logical construction makes it easy to remember.

Le bois de chauffage specifically refers to wood that has been cut and prepared to be burned for warmth, whether in a fireplace (une cheminée) or a wood stove (un poêle à bois).

While you might be tempted to just say le bois, that term is more general and can refer to wood for construction or furniture. For a single piece of firewood, you would use the word une bûche (a log).

You'll hear and use this term when discussing winter preparations. For example, you might talk about ordering, stacking, or chopping firewood to prepare for the cold season.

💡 * Nous devons commander du bois de chauffage avant l'hiver.

Il n'y a plus de bois de chauffage, il faut aller en couper.

Peux-tu ajouter une bûche dans le feu, s'il te plaît ?

Le prix du bois de chauffage a beaucoup augmenté cette année.

The 'timber' or 'lumber' – le bois d'œuvre

When discussing wood specifically for building and construction in French, the term you'll need is le bois d'œuvre. This phrase is the direct equivalent of 'timber' or 'lumber' in English.

Le bois d'œuvre refers to wood that has been felled, processed, and prepared for structural or building purposes. Think of the planks, beams, and boards you'd find at a lumberyard or in the construction aisle of a hardware store.

The expression is composed of two parts: bois, which means 'wood', and œuvre, which means 'work' or 'project'. So, it literally translates to 'wood for work', which is a helpful way to remember its specific application in construction and carpentry.

This term is crucial in professional contexts like carpentry (la menuiserie), construction (la construction), and architecture. You would use it when buying materials for a project or discussing building plans.

It's important not to confuse le bois d'œuvre with le bois (which can mean wood in general or a forest) or le bois de chauffage (firewood). Using le bois d'œuvre clarifies that you are talking about construction-grade material.

💡 * Nous devons acheter du bois d'œuvre pour construire la terrasse. (We need to buy lumber to build the deck.)

Le charpentier a choisi un bois d'œuvre de très haute qualité pour la charpente. (The carpenter chose very high-quality timber for the framework.)

Le coût du bois d'œuvre a considérablement augmenté. (The cost of lumber has increased considerably.)

Ce camion transporte du bois d'œuvre vers le chantier. (This truck is transporting timber to the construction site.)

The 'plank' or 'board' – une planche

The 'plank' or 'board' – une planche

Une planche is the French word for a 'plank' or 'board.' It refers to a flat, elongated piece of material, most commonly wood.

The term is very versatile. It's the base word for many compound nouns, such as planche à voile (windsurfing board), planche à découper (cutting board), and planche de surf (surfboard).

You'll also hear it in the common expression faire la planche, which means 'to float on one's back' in the water, literally 'to do the plank'.

💡 * J'ai acheté une nouvelle planche à découper pour la cuisine. (I bought a new cutting board for the kitchen.)

Le charpentier a coupé la planche en deux. (The carpenter cut the board in two.)

Il adore faire de la planche à voile quand il y a du vent. (He loves to go windsurfing when it's windy.)

Allonge-toi dans l'eau et essaie de faire la planche. (Lie down in the water and try to float on your back.)

The 'woods' or 'forest' – les bois

To talk about 'the woods' or a 'forest' in a general, everyday context, the most common French term is les bois.

Crucially, les bois is used in its plural form to refer to a wooded area. The singular form, le bois, means 'wood' as a material. So, a table is made of le bois, but you go for a walk in les bois.

Les bois often implies a smaller, less wild area than la forêt (the forest). Think of les bois as the local woods perfect for a stroll, while la forêt might be a larger, more remote national forest.

This term is frequently used in expressions related to outdoor activities. For instance, une promenade dans les bois means 'a walk in the woods'.

💡 * Allons nous promener dans les bois cet après-midi. (Let's go for a walk in the woods this afternoon.)

Leur chalet est situé au cœur des bois. (Their cabin is located in the heart of the woods.)

En automne, les couleurs des bois sont magnifiques. (In autumn, the colors of the woods are magnificent.)

The 'log' – une bûche

The French word for a 'log' is une bûche.

Literally, une bûche refers to a piece of a tree trunk or a large branch that has been cut, typically for firewood. It's the word you'd use when talking about putting a log on the fire to stay warm.

Beyond its literal meaning, une bûche is famously used in the expression dormir comme une bûche, which directly translates to 'to sleep like a log.' This idiom is very common and means to sleep very soundly and deeply.

In a more informal or slightly pejorative sense, you can refer to a person as une bûche. This describes someone who is clumsy, stiff, unresponsive, or lacks social grace. It's similar to calling someone a 'klutz' or a 'stick-in-the-mud' in English.

Culturally, une bûche is most famously associated with the traditional Christmas dessert, la bûche de Noël. This 'Yule log' is a sponge cake decorated to look like a miniature log, and it's a staple of French holiday celebrations.

💡 * J'ai mis une autre bûche dans le feu pour nous réchauffer. (I put another log on the fire to warm us up.)

Après une longue journée de travail, il a dormi comme une bûche. (After a long day at work, he slept like a log.)

Arrête d'être une telle bûche et viens danser ! (Stop being such a stick-in-the-mud and come dance!)

Ma mère fait la meilleure bûche de Noël au chocolat. (My mom makes the best chocolate Yule log.)

The 'wood chip' – un copeau de bois

To talk about a 'wood chip' or 'wood shaving' in French, the term used is un copeau de bois. The core noun is copeau, which translates to chip, flake, or shaving.

The word copeau is a masculine noun. Its plural form is des copeaux, following the common rule for French nouns ending in -eau. You will often encounter this term in its plural form, les copeaux de bois, when referring to wood shavings in a general sense.

Copeaux de bois are frequently mentioned in practical contexts such as gardening (mulch), carpentry workshops, animal bedding (litière), or for smoking food.

💡 * Le menuisier a balayé le sol couvert de copeaux de bois. (The carpenter swept the floor covered in wood shavings.)

Attention, tu as un copeau dans le doigt. (Be careful, you have a splinter/chip in your finger.)

On utilise des copeaux de cèdre comme litière pour le hamster. (We use cedar shavings as bedding for the hamster.)

Pour fumer le saumon, j'utilise des copeaux de bois de pommier. (To smoke the salmon, I use apple wood chips.)

The 'driftwood' – le bois flotté

The “driftwood” – le bois flotté

This term is a compound noun that literally translates to “floated wood.” It is composed of two parts: le bois (the wood) and flotté, the past participle of the verb flotter (to float).

Just like its English counterpart, le bois flotté refers to wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach by the action of winds, tides, or waves. It is often used in a descriptive context, especially when talking about nature, beaches, or even home décor and art.

Remember that le bois is a masculine noun in French. Therefore, the entire term le bois flotté is masculine. You would say un beau morceau de bois flotté (a beautiful piece of driftwood).

💡 * Nous avons ramassé du bois flotté sur la plage pour décorer la maison. (We collected driftwood on the beach to decorate the house.)

J'ai trouvé un magnifique morceau de bois flotté en forme d'oiseau. (I found a magnificent piece of driftwood in the shape of a bird.)

Cette sculpture est entièrement faite de bois flotté. (This sculpture is made entirely of driftwood.)

1. The 'woodwind instrument' – un bois

In French, a 'woodwind instrument' is called un bois. The literal translation is 'a wood,' which directly points to the material these instruments were traditionally made from. It's a masculine noun.

When referring to the entire 'woodwind section' in an orchestra, you use the plural form: les bois. This term collectively describes the group of instruments like flutes, clarinets, oboes, and bassoons.

The name un bois is used even for instruments that are now commonly made of metal, such as the flute (la flûte traversière). The classification is based on the instrument's historical construction and the method of sound production (blowing across an edge or through a reed), not its current material.

Common instruments that are considered des bois include:

la flûte (the flute)
la clarinette (the clarinet)
le hautbois (the oboe)
le basson (the bassoon)
le saxophone (the saxophone)

💡 * La clarinette est un bois très populaire dans les orchestres de jazz. (The clarinet is a very popular woodwind instrument in jazz orchestras.)

Dans l'orchestre, la section des bois est située devant les cuivres. (In the orchestra, the woodwind section is located in front of the brass.)

Mon instrument préféré est un bois : le hautbois. (My favorite instrument is a woodwind: the oboe.)

Même si elle est en métal, la flûte est classée dans la famille des bois. (Even though it is made of metal, the flute is classified in the woodwind family.)

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

Our list features the most common ways to say 'wood' in French, from the material le bois to a small forest. But the French language is full of specific terms for different types of wood, technical uses, and regional variations you might encounter.

You can expand your vocabulary by doing an online search for “comment dire [type of wood] en français” and inserting a specific wood like 'oak', 'pine', or 'plywood'.

When you discover a new word for 'wood', try to see how it's used in context. Is it for construction, firewood, or art? Understanding the context is crucial for using the word correctly.

Pay attention as you read French articles, watch home improvement shows, or walk through a French forest. You'll start to notice the specific vocabulary used to describe the world of wood around you.

If you want to explore compound words and related expressions, the WordReference page for bois is a fantastic resource. It can help you find phrases for everything from a 'wood fire' to a 'wooden leg'.

I hope this guide has been helpful. A fitting French proverb to end with is, “L'arbre cache souvent la forêt.” (The tree often hides the forest.) Sometimes, learning one word like bois is just the start, and it can hide an entire forest of new vocabulary waiting to be discovered.

'9 ways to say "wood" in French'