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French Driving Terms
- Accotement - Shoulder of road.
- Aire - Rest stop, often having a gas station, restaurant or other services.
- Agglomeration - Town.
- Allure - Speed.
- Autocollant - Sticker.
- Autoroute - Motorway often charging a toll for entrance. Autoroute sign's are colored blue with white lettering.
- Bataille - One of the three ways to describe how a vehicle is parked. Describes when a vehicle can park perpendicular to a street or building.
- Bifurcation - Autoroute-to-autoroute interchange.
- Bis - Alternative route, a sign marking a Bis will have a combination of yellow and black lettering and background, rectangular in shape. Bis is written on the sign.
- Borne - Road marker.
- Bouchon - Traffic jam.
- Brouillard - Fog.
- Camionette - Delivery van; weighs less than 3.5 t; a bit smaller than a fourgonette.
- Caravane - Camper trailer.
- Carrefour - Intersection.
- Cassis - Dib or double speed bump, same as a Dos-d'âne.
- Chaussé - Roadway.
- Circulation - Traffic.
- Clignotants - Signal lights/Blinkers.
- Constat amiable - The form to fill in and signed by all parties involved after an accident.
- Contrôle Technique - Periodic car inspection.
- Créneau - One of the three ways to describe how a vehicle is parked. Describes when a vehicle is parallel parked.
- Cycliste - Bicyclist.
- Cyclomoteur - Moped...Think of it as a cycle with a motor; do not confuse with motocycle.
- Danger - Sometimes written under a danger sign to highlight the risk.
- Dangereux - Normally used to describe a vehicle that is parked in a dangerous manner.
- Demi-tour - U-turn.
- Déviation - Detour. Signs marking a Déviation will have a yellow background and black lettering. Normally rectangular in shape with one pointed end, often has Déviation written on it.
- Dos-d'âne - Double speed bump, same as a Cassis.
- Ecart - Swerve.
- Épi - One of the three ways to describe how a vehicle is parked. Describes when a vehicle is parked at an angle.
- Essuie-glace - Windshield wiper.
- Feu - Light.
- Feux de Brouillard - Fog lights.
- Feux de Croisement - Low beam headlights.
- Feux de détresse - Hazard lights.
- Feux de position - Parking lights.
- Feux de route - High beam headlights.
- Flèche - Arrow.
- Frein - Brake.
- Frein à Main - Hand brake.
- Frein Moteur - Motor brake, found on diesel vehicles.
- Fourgonnette - Delivery van; weighs less than 3.5 t; a bit larger than a camionette.
- Gazole - Diesel.
- Gênant - When a vehicle is parked in a manner that is an obstruction or bothersome to others.
- Horodateur - Time stamp machine used for time-limited parking.
- Itineraire - Itinerary, route.
- Imparis - Odd.
- Lieux-dits - Community outside fixed incorporated area boundaries, normally with houses or buildings and found in the countryside.
- Ligne continue - Solid line.
- Ligne de dissuasion - Closely-spaced dashed lines in the middle of the road that indicate that while you technically CAN pass, you SHOULDN'T.
- Ligne de rive - Lines at the edge of the road.
- Manche à air - Wind sock.
- Motocyclette - Motorcycle...Do not confuse with cyclomoteur.
- Pare-brise - Windshield.
- Pair - Even.
- Panneau - Sign.
- Pare-choc - Bumper.
- Parking - Parking lot.
- Passage à niveau - Train crossing.
- Péage - Toll or toll booth.
- Pétale d'Embrayage - Clutch Pedal.
- Piéton - Pedestrian.
- Pneus à Clous - Studded Tires.
- Plaque d'Immatriculation - License plate.
- Pont - Bridge.
- Priorité - Priority.
- Priorité à droite - Yield right. See Right of Way in France.
- Priorité ponctuelle - One-time priority (right-of-way) at an intersection.
- Rappel - Often found underneath a speed limit sign to remind you at what speed you should be traveling.
- Relentisseurs - Speed bumps.
- Remorque - Trailer.
- Rond point - Roundabout.
- Roulez au pas - Drive slowly, often written underneath speed limit signs with a low speed.
- Route pour automobiles - Limited-access highway; may or may not be divided.
- Sans Plomb - Unleaded gas.
- Sens - Direction.
- Siège - Seat.
- Signalisation - The combination of signals, including roadsigns, markings on the road, poles, etc.
- Sortie - Exit, Sortie will often be written on exit signs.
- Stationnement - Parking.
- Station d'Essence - Gas Station.
- Suivre - Follow. Normally used in the context of 'Pour Paris Suivre Dijon,' - For Paris follow the signs for Dijon.
- Super - Super Unleaded.
- Traite - Line.
- Travaux - Roadwork.
- Vélo - Bicycle.
- Verglas - Black ice; icy patch on the road.
- Virage - Curve.
- Vitesse - Speed.
- Vitesse Limitée - Speed is limited. Is then followed by number that informs you what the maximum speed is.
- Voie - Lane.
- Voie de détresse - Runaway vehicle lane (distress lane).
- Voiturette - Very small car; don't need a license to drive; limited to 60 km/hr.
- Volant - Steering wheel.
- Vous n'avez pas la Priorite - 'You do not have the right of way.' This phrase is often seen underneath a yield sign before a roundabout.
Verbs
- Aborder - To reach.
- Braquer - To turn the wheel.
- Chevaucher - To straddle, overlap.
- Déboîter - To pull out.
- Déboucher - To pull out.
- Détendre - To relax.
- Depasser - To pass, overtake.
- Ecarter - To move over.
- Encrasser - To foul up.
- Entrâiner - To pull, to lead.
- Klaxonner - To honk.
- Passer - To pass, go ahead.
- Rétrécir - To take in, shrink.
- se Rapprocher - To draw closer.
- Serrer - To squeeze.
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