Vocabulary list
Parts of objects in French: lids, handles, bases and openings
Name the parts of everyday objects in French: couvercle, bouchon, anse, poignée and more. Learn the part–whole pattern and test your choices.
- A2
- 8 words
- Gender marked
- With examples
- Learn this in the A2 notebook →
In short
Name a part with de + the whole object: le couvercle de la boîte, la poignée du tiroir. For “handle”, learn the object with the word: a cup has une anse; a door has une poignée.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
Look at the part, then name it
Find:
Closing, holding and supporting
| Whole object | Part phrase | English |
|---|---|---|
| la boîte | le fond de la boîte | the bottom of the box |
| le bocal | le couvercle du bocal | the lid of the jar |
| les tiroirs | les poignées des tiroirs | the handles of the drawers |
| l’armoire | la porte de l’armoire | the wardrobe door |
The contractions are de + le → du and de + les → des. Keep de la and de l’ as they are. Once you have named the object, you can use son or sa: La boîte est bleue. Son couvercle est blanc. The possessive agrees with the part: son couvercle, sa poignée.
La boîte est en bois, mais son couvercle est en verre. Les cartes sont à l’intérieur.
The box is wooden, but its lid is glass. The cards are inside.
The lid belongs to the box; the cards are its contents. A description can give a different material or colour for each part. For a cup, une anse bleue and un fond blanc both work: the adjective agrees with the part you name.