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French bike-parking vocabulary in pictures

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Learn twenty French bike-parking and bicycle-part words. Identify an arceau, antivol, roue and selle, then describe a parking location with simple phrases.

In short

Un arceau à vélos is a bike stand, un antivol a bicycle lock, une roue a wheel and une selle a saddle. Use un parking à vélos for the parking area and un abri à vélos for a shelter. Combine the object name with a colour or nearby landmark to identify your bicycle.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

You want to describe where your bicycle is parked and identify a visible part or object nearby. The twenty terms are grouped by parking equipment, bicycle parts, carried items and location. Learn the article with the noun so you can ask a short question such as Où est la clé ?

Bike-parking objects

un arceau à vélosman inverted-U bike standLe vélo est près de l’arceau.
un râtelier à vélosma bicycle rackLe râtelier est devant la bibliothèque.
un antivolma bicycle lockMon antivol est noir.
un cadenasma padlockLe cadenas est dans mon sac.
une chaînefa chainLa chaîne est à côté de l’antivol.

Visible bicycle parts

une rouefa wheelLa roue avant est près du mur.
un pneuma tyreLe pneu est noir.
une sellefa saddleLa selle est marron.
un guidonmhandlebarsLe guidon est au-dessus de la roue avant.
un cadrema bicycle frameLe cadre du vélo est bleu.

Carry and identify

un panierma basketLe panier est vide.
un porte-bagagesma luggage rackLe porte-bagages est à l’arrière.
une sacochefa pannier / bicycle bagLa sacoche est rouge.
une cléfa keyLa clé de l’antivol est dans ma poche.
un casquema helmetLe casque est dans le panier.

Parking-location words

un emplacementma space / spotCet emplacement est vide.
un parking à vélosma bicycle-parking areaLe parking à vélos est à gauche.
une entréefan entranceLe parking est près de l’entrée.
un panneauma signLe panneau indique le parking à vélos.
un abri à vélosma bicycle shelterL’abri à vélos est couvert.

Four shapes to recognise near a bicycle

A stand and the whole parking area are different

Un arceau names the single inverted-U stand pictured here. Un râtelier names a rack, which can provide positions for several bicycles. Un parking à vélos names the area. You can therefore say Le vélo est dans le parking, près du premier arceau to combine the general place and the specific object.

A wheel, tyre and saddle name separate parts

Une roue is the wheel as a whole; un pneu is the tyre around it. Une selle is the bicycle seat. Le guidon is the handlebars. The article and noun matter because the English word seat could otherwise suggest an ordinary chair in a different context.

Mon vélo bleu est devant la bibliothèque, près de l’arceau à gauche.

My blue bicycle is in front of the library, near the stand on the left.

Question 1No account needed
Which term names the saddle?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Une selle. Une selle is the bicycle seat; the other words name a wheel and a chain.

Question 2No account needed
Which word names a bicycle lock?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Un antivol. Un antivol names the lock, not a sign or parking spot.

Question 3No account needed
Which phrase names a covered bicycle shelter?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

Un abri à vélos. Un abri à vélos is the bicycle shelter, described as covered in the list.

A practical description combines colour, location and one landmark. If several bicycles are blue, add a distinguishing item such as la sacoche rouge. You can then identify one bicycle clearly: Le vélo avec la sacoche rouge est près de l’entrée.

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