French word

cartable

Pronunciation

IPA/kaʁtabl/

Meaning

  • masculine nounschoolbag

Example

J'ai oublié mon cartable à la maison.

I forgot my schoolbag at home.

Illustration for cartable (schoolbag)

More examples

L'enfant met son cartable sur la table avant de partir.

The child puts their schoolbag on the table before leaving.

Core concept

A sturdy school bag filled with books, notebooks, and pens.

Common phrases

  • oublier son cartable

    forget one's schoolbag

  • prendre son cartable

    take one's schoolbag

  • ouvrir son cartable

    open one's schoolbag

Similar words

sac à dos: A backpack carried on both shoulders for commuting to school or going out.
sac: A bag used to carry everyday belongings, available in many sizes and materials.
sacoche: A small shoulder-carried bag for holding a wallet, phone, and other personal items.

Definition in French

Sac porté par les élèves pour transporter manuels, cahiers et fournitures scolaires.

Word origin

Cartable formed from French carte, once used for a document or map, with -able, and came to denote a case for carrying papers and later a schoolbag.

Usage tips

  • Cartable is masculine, so standard forms include un cartable and ce cartable.

Word lists with this word