French internet vocabulary includes words you will see on websites, in email, on social media, and when using online services.
Some terms will look familiar if you know English. Others, such as un lien, une pièce jointe, and un mot de passe, are common French words and expressions worth learning.
Basic internet vocabulary
These words describe some of the things you use when you go online:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Internet | internet |
| un site web | a website |
| une page web | a web page |
| un lien | a link |
| un navigateur | a browser |
| un moteur de recherche | a search engine |
| une recherche | a search |
| un compte | an account |
| un mot de passe | a password |
| un nom d'utilisateur | a username |
A site web can contain many pages web. A lien takes you from one page or resource to another.
You will often see compte, nom d'utilisateur, and mot de passe together when you use a website that requires you to log in.
Browsing and searching online
Several common verbs describe actions you perform on a website or online:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| aller sur un site | to go to a website |
| chercher | to search / look for |
| cliquer | to click |
| télécharger | to download |
| ouvrir | to open |
| fermer | to close |
| se connecter | to log in / connect |
| se déconnecter | to log out / disconnect |
Use cliquer sur for the thing you click:
cliquer sur + noun
For example:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Cliquez sur le lien. | Click the link. |
| Je clique sur le bouton. | I'm clicking the button. |
| Tu peux ouvrir la page ? | Can you open the page? |
| Je télécharge le document. | I'm downloading the document. |
Télécharger can mean downloading a document, photo, app, or another file from the internet.
Connecting to Wi-Fi
In a café, hotel, or other public place, you may need to ask for the Wi-Fi network or password:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| le Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi |
| le réseau Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi network |
| le mot de passe | password |
| le code Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi password / code |
| se connecter au Wi-Fi | to connect to Wi-Fi |
In everyday conversation, code is often used for the password needed to connect to Wi-Fi.
You can ask:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Vous avez le Wi-Fi ? | Do you have Wi-Fi? |
| Quel est le mot de passe du Wi-Fi ? | What's the Wi-Fi password? |
| C'est quoi, le code Wi-Fi ? | What's the Wi-Fi password? |
| Je n'arrive pas à me connecter au Wi-Fi. | I can't connect to Wi-Fi. |
Email vocabulary
Email has its own common vocabulary:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un e-mail / un courriel | an email |
| une adresse e-mail | an email address |
| un message | a message |
| une pièce jointe | an attachment |
| la boîte de réception | the inbox |
| envoyer | to send |
| recevoir | to receive |
| répondre | to reply |
Both e-mail and courriel are used for email. Courriel is particularly common in Canada, while e-mail and mail are widely used in everyday French in France.
A pièce jointe is a file attached to an email or message.
These words appear in common expressions:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je t'envoie un e-mail. | I'm sending you an email. |
| J'ai reçu ton message. | I received your message. |
| Tu peux répondre à l'e-mail ? | Can you reply to the email? |
| Le document est en pièce jointe. | The document is attached. |
Social media vocabulary
These words are useful when talking about posts, photos, videos, and other activity on social media:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| les réseaux sociaux | social media |
| une publication | a post |
| une photo | a photo |
| une vidéo | a video |
| un commentaire | a comment |
| un message privé | a private message |
| publier | to post / publish |
| partager | to share |
| suivre | to follow |
Les réseaux sociaux is the usual French expression for social media. A post can be called une publication, while publier is the verb used for posting or publishing something.
Use sur when something appears on a website or social network:
sur + website / social network
For example:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'ai vu la photo sur Internet. | I saw the photo online. |
| Elle publie une vidéo sur les réseaux sociaux. | She's posting a video on social media. |
| Il partage une photo. | He's sharing a photo. |
| Je lui envoie un message privé. | I'm sending him / her a private message. |
Explaining an internet problem
When a website or internet connection does not work, a few simple expressions can help you explain the problem:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ça ne marche pas. | It doesn't work. |
| Le site ne fonctionne pas. | The website isn't working. |
| Je n'arrive pas à me connecter. | I can't log in. |
| J'ai oublié mon mot de passe. | I forgot my password. |
| La page ne s'ouvre pas. | The page won't open. |
| Je n'ai pas de connexion Internet. | I don't have an internet connection. |
Ça ne marche pas is a useful general expression when a website, app, device, or other technology is not working.
Je n'arrive pas à me connecter describes a more specific problem. You have tried to log in or connect, but you cannot do it.
From learning to practice
The next time you use a website or app, look at what you are doing and try to describe each action in French. Recall the words for opening a page, clicking a link, logging in, downloading a file, or sending a message as you do them.