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Les Outils et le Bricolage — French DIY vocabulary | Vocabulary

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DIY French — tools, hardware and fixing things. This French diy tools hardware fixing things vocabulary list gives you 24 essential words — from un marteau (a hammer) to faire des travaux (to do renovations) — each with audio and its English translation. Use it to build the French words you need to talk about diy tools hardware fixing things, then test yourself with the games below.

Les Outils et le Bricolage

DIY French — tools, hardware and fixing things

Les outils 🔧

un marteaua hammer
un tournevisa screwdriver
une perceusea drill
une sciea saw
une cléa spanner / wrench
une pincepliers
un mètrea tape measure
une échellea ladder

La quincaillerie 🔩

une visa screw
un cloua nail
une chevillea wall plug
la colleglue
le scotchsticky tape
une planchea plank / board
la peinturepaint
un pinceaua brush

Les actions 🛠️

bricolerto do DIY
réparerto fix
monter un meubleto assemble furniture
visser / dévisserto screw / unscrew
clouerto nail
percerto drill
poncerto sand
faire des travauxto do renovations
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🎬 The 20-second version

5 quick questions on « Les Outils et le Bricolage » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →

📘 DIY, the French national pastime

  • Bricoler = to do DIY / potter about fixing things; a bricoleur / bricoleuse is a handy person. It’s a beloved weekend activity.
  • Where to shop: a magasin de bricolage (Leroy Merlin, Castorama) or the old-school quincaillerie (hardware shop).
  • The universal task: monter un meuble (assemble flat-pack furniture) — expect « il manque une vis ! » (a screw is missing!).
  • Faire des travaux = to do renovation work; « on refait la cuisine » = we’re redoing the kitchen.
  • Handy request: « Tu peux me prêter une perceuse ? » (can you lend me a drill?).

🔊 Useful phrases

Tu peux me prêter un tournevis ?Can you lend me a screwdriver?
Il faut percer un trou dans le mur.We need to drill a hole in the wall.
J’adore bricoler le week-end.I love doing DIY at the weekend.
On fait des travaux dans la salle de bain.We’re renovating the bathroom.

🔊 Example sentences

Passe-moi le marteau, s’il te plaît.Pass me the hammer, please.
Il manque une vis pour finir.There’s a screw missing to finish.
On a monté l’armoire en deux heures.We assembled the wardrobe in two hours.

✍️ Practice

a screwdriver = un ___ (tool)

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tournevis

to do DIY = ___ (weekend hobby)

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bricoler

a screw = une ___ (a nail = un clou) (hardware)

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vis

🎮 Practise this with games

🎯 More practice — vocabulary recall — both directions

How do you say « a hammer »? (recall)

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un marteau

What does « une scie » mean? (recall)

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a saw

How do you say « a tape measure »? (recall)

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un mètre

What does « un clou » mean? (recall)

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a nail

How do you say « sticky tape »? (recall)

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le scotch

What does « un pinceau » mean? (recall)

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a brush

How do you say « to assemble furniture »? (recall)

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monter un meuble

What does « percer » mean? (recall)

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to drill

French diy tools hardware fixing things vocabulary — FAQ

How do you say common diy tools hardware fixing things words in French?

For example: a hammer is « un marteau », a screwdriver is « un tournevis », a drill is « une perceuse ». The full list above has 24 French diy tools hardware fixing things words, each with audio so you can hear the pronunciation.

What are the most useful French diy tools hardware fixing things words to learn first?

Start with the basics: un marteau (a hammer), un tournevis (a screwdriver), une perceuse (a drill), une scie (a saw), une clé (a spanner / wrench), une pince (pliers). Master these core French words before moving on to the rest of the list.

How can I memorise French diy tools hardware fixing things vocabulary?

Learn the words in small themed groups, say each one out loud with the audio, and use it in a short sentence about your own life. Spaced repetition is what makes new vocabulary stick — see our guide to learning French vocabulary that sticks.

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