Language/French/Vocabulary/Geography

French Vocabulary - Geography

Hi French learners! 😊
In this lesson, we will learn about French vocabulary related to geography. Geography is an essential topic that you must know to describe places, talk about landscapes, or give directions. Vocabulary words will come with cultural information and interesting facts to help you be more fluent in French!

With the completion of this lesson, consider investigating these related pages: Difference between Ancre and Encre & Differences between Sentir Se Sentir et Ressentir.

Regions of France

France is divided into 18 regions, including 13 metropolitan regions and 5 overseas regions. Each region has its own specificities, landscapes, and cultural heritage.

Here is a list of the 13 metropolitan regions of France:

French	Pronunciation	English
L'Alsace	lalzas	Alsace
L'Aquitaine	lakitɛn	Aquitaine
L'Auvergne	loviʁɲ	Auvergne
La Bourgogne	la buʁɡɔɲ	Burgundy
La Bretagne	la bʁətaɲ	Brittany
Le Centre-Val de Loire	lə sɑ̃tʁə val də lwaʁ	Centre-Val de Loire
Le Grand Est	lə ɡʁɑ̃t‿ɛst	Grand Est
La Corse	la kɔʁs	Corsica
La Normandie	la nɔʁmɑ̃di	Normandy
L'Occitanie	lɔksitani	Occitania
Les Hauts-de-France	le-oz-də-fʁɑ̃s	Hauts-de-France
Les Pays de la Loire	le pɛi də la lwaʁ	Pays de la Loire
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur	pʁɔvɑ̃s alp kot dazœʁ	Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

French regions have their traditional dishes, dialects, and unique customs. For example, "le cassoulet" is a typical dish from the South-Western region, and "la galette" is a specialty from Brittany. Have you ever visited a region of France? What did you like the most?

Landscapes

France has a diverse and beautiful landscape, from mountains to coasts, including forests, plains, and valleys. Let's see some vocabulary related to landscapes:

French	Pronunciation	English
La montagne	la mɔ̃taɲ	Mountain
La plage	la plaʒ	Beach
La forêt	la fɔʁɛ	Forest
La vallée	la vale	Valley
La colline	la kɔlin	Hill
La rivière	la ʁivjɛʁ	River
Le fleuve	lə flœv	Large river

Here is a dialogue between two friends:

• Person 1: Regarde la montagne, elle est magnifique ! (Look at the mountain, it is magnificent!)
• Person 2: Oui, j'aime beaucoup les montagnes, mais je préfère quand même la plage. (Yes, I really like mountains, but I prefer the beach anyway.)

France is famous for skiing resorts, located mainly in the Alps and Pyrenees mountains. Also, the country has numerous rivers and canals, such as the Loire, Seine, or Canal du Midi. Have you ever skied in France or taken a boat ride on a French river?

Cardinal directions

To give directions or describe a location, you need to know the cardinal directions.

French	Pronunciation	English
Nord	nɔʁ	North
Sud	syd	South
Est	ɛst	East
Ouest	wɛst	West

Here is a dialogue between two friends:

• Person 1: Excuse-moi, comment aller à la plage ? (Excuse me, how to go to the beach?)
• Person 2: Allez en direction du sud, tournez à droite à la prochaine rue, c'est sur la gauche. (Go south, turn right at the next street, it's on the left.)

In France, you can use public transportation such as metro, bus, or tram to get around the cities. In contrast, to visit the countryside or remote areas, it is better to have or rent a car. Have you ever traveled in French cities or taken a road trip in France?

Conclusion

In this lesson, we learned about French vocabulary related to geography, including regions of France, landscapes, and cardinal directions. Remember that knowing the vocabulary and cultural information will help you speak naturally and more fluently in French.

If you want to practice your French, you can join the Polyglot Club community. Find native speakers and ask them any questions! You can also check the French Vocabulary page to expand your knowledge.

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Excellent job on conquering this lesson! Consider delving into these related pages: Expression Voir le Verre à Moitié Plein & Say Yes.

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• Vehicules
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• Give Opinion
• Le corps humain
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• Vachement
• Family
• Greetings
• How to Say Good Bye
• Flowers

Sources

• French Geography Vocabulary (50+ Useful Terms For Students)
• Geography in French: 107 words to ignite your adventurous spirit
• French Vocabulary for Geography