What does boîte in French mean?

What is the meaning of the word boîte in French? The article explains the full meaning, pronunciation along with bilingual examples and instructions on how to use boîte in French.

The word boîte in French means box, boxful, can, can, company, nightclub, school, limp, canned food, go to a club, go clubbing, jewellery box, shoebox, fuse box, glove box, glove compartment, suggestion box, image box, speed camera, box plot, music box, egg box, egg carton, mitre box, toolbox, automatic gearbox, letterbox, letter box, baked cheese, baked Mont d'Or cheese, cranium, box of matches, sent box, sent mail box, temping agency, box of eggs, carton of eggs, can, can, canned food, dialogue box, club, nightclub, Pandora's box, Pandora's box, petri dish, Petri dish, inbox, tin of sardines, gearbox, inbox, mailbox, manual gearbox, black box, flight recorder, PO box, voicemail, It's in the bag, Got it, It's in the can, bankrupt a firm, canned, shut your gob, shut your cakehole, tease, tease, teasing, tin opener, open Pandora's box, collect your mail, collect the mail, pick up your mail, pick up the mail, go clubbing. To learn more, please see the details below.

Listen to pronunciation

Meaning of the word boîte

box

nom féminin (contenant rigide)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les allumettes sont rangées dans une boîte spéciale. Ma grand-mère garde tous ses biscuits dans une boîte en fer.
My grandmother kept all her biscuits in a metal tin.

boxful

nom féminin (contenu d'une boîte)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les enfants ont déjà mangé toute la boîte de bonbons.
The children have already eaten the whole tin of sweets.

can

nom féminin (contenant en fer)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
En rentrant les courses, je me suis fait tomber une boîte de conserve sur le pied.
As I was coming in from doing the shopping, I dropped a can on my foot.

can

nom féminin (contenu)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Comme tous les mardis soir, j'ai mangé une boîte de raviolis.
I ate a can of ravioli, like I do every Tuesday night.

company

nom féminin (familier (entreprise)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Jules change de boîte tous les cinq ans.
Jules switches companies every five years.

nightclub

nom féminin (familier (boîte de nuit)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Isabelle sort en boîte tous les samedis soirs.
Isabelle goes out to a nightclub every Saturday night.

school

nom féminin (argot (lycée, collège)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Dans quelle boîte es-tu ?
What school do you go to?

limp

verbe intransitif (claudiquer fortement)

(intransitive verb: Verb not taking a direct object--for example, "She jokes." "He has arrived.")
Il a une malformation de la hanche : voilà pourquoi il boite.
He has a malformation of the hip; that's why he limps.

canned food

nom masculin (aliment en conserve)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les aliments en boîte permettent une conservation plus longue.

go to a club, go clubbing

locution verbale (familier (sortir en boîte de nuit)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

jewellery box

nom féminin (coffret à objets de parure) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Elle a une boîte à bijoux pour ses bracelets et une pour ses colliers.

shoebox

nom féminin (rangement pour chaussures)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

fuse box

nom féminin (vieilli (tableau électrique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

glove box, glove compartment

nom féminin (vide-poches de véhicule)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
La boîte à gants est une boîte de rangement placée en face du passager avant.
The glove box is a storage compartment located in front of the passenger seat.

suggestion box

nom féminin (boîte à suggestions)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

image box

nom féminin (appareil photo)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

speed camera

nom féminin (figuré (radar automatique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

box plot

nom féminin (diagramme statistique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

music box

nom féminin (machine qui fait de la musique)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

egg box, egg carton

nom féminin (carton à alvéoles)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

mitre box

nom féminin (outil pour scier selon un angle précis) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Pour cette coupe à 45°, j'utilise la boîte à onglets.

toolbox

nom féminin (rangement pour bricoleur)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

automatic gearbox

nom féminin (système de boîte de vitesse) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

letterbox, letter box

nom féminin (boîte à courrier) (UK, for delivery)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
A l'entrée de chaque maison, il y a une boîte aux lettres dans laquelle le facteur dépose le courrier. Je dois poster cette lettre : tu sais où je pourrais trouver une boîte aux lettres dans le coin ?
I need to mail this letter; do you know where I can find a mailbox around here?

baked cheese, baked Mont d'Or cheese

nom féminin (régional (mont d'or chaud) (fondue)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

cranium

nom féminin (crâne)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

box of matches

nom féminin (carton contenant des allumettes) (with matches in)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Peux-tu ajouter une boîte d'allumettes sur la liste de courses ?

sent box, sent mail box

nom féminin (liste de courrier envoyé)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

temping agency

nom féminin (familier (agence de travail temporaire)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

box of eggs, carton of eggs

nom féminin (coffret) (with eggs in)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

can

nom féminin (contenant alimentaire)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette usine fabrique des boîtes de conserve.
This factory makes cans.

can, canned food

nom féminin (nourriture)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Mon frère ne se nourrit que de boîtes de conserve.
My brother eats nothing but canned food.

dialogue box

nom féminin (informatique : fenêtre) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

club, nightclub

nom féminin (discothèque)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les jeunes aiment bien aller en boîte de nuit le vendredi soir.
Young people like going to nightclubs on Friday night.

Pandora's box

nom féminin (récipient plein de maux) (mythology)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Dans la mythologie gréco-romaine, Pandore, la première femme, offrit une boîte pleine de maux au premier homme.

Pandora's box

nom féminin (figuré (source d'ennuis) (figurative)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Ses dossiers sont une véritable boîte de Pandore.

petri dish, Petri dish

nom féminin (récipient d'analyse biologique) (microbiology)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

inbox

nom féminin (Informatique : courriels entrants)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
J'ai bien regardé mais je n'ai rien dans ma boîte de réception.

tin of sardines

nom féminin (conserve de poisson) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Il a pris une boîte de sardines pour son pique-nique.

gearbox

nom féminin (dispositif de transmission)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Julien a choisi un boîte de vitesses automatique pour sa nouvelle voiture.

inbox, mailbox

nom féminin (boîte de réception de courriels)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Quand il ouvre son ordinateur Pierre regarde sa boîte mail pour voir s'il a reçu de nouveaux courriels.
When he turns on his computer Peter checks his inbox to see if he has received any new emails.

manual gearbox

nom féminin (sorte de boîte de vitesse)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

black box, flight recorder

nom féminin (enregistreur de vol) (aircraft)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Les boîtes noires enregistrent toutes les données de vol. Les enquêteurs cherchent encore la boîte noire de l'appareil pour comprendre les causes du crash.

PO box

nom féminin (boîte aux lettres dans un bureau de poste) (abbreviation)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Cette entreprise possède une boîte postale.
This business has a PO box.

voicemail

nom féminin (messagerie de mobile)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
J'ai consulté ma boîte vocale, mais non, je n'ai aucun message.
I checked my voicemail but I don't have a single message.

It's in the bag

(familier (C'est réussi.) (colloquial)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

Got it

(familier (La photo est prise.) (photography)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

It's in the can

(familier (Cinéma : la scène est bonne) (filmmaking, dated)

(expression: Prepositional phrase, adverbial phrase, or other phrase or expression--for example, "behind the times," "on your own.")

bankrupt a firm

locution verbale (familier (mettre une entreprise en faillite)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

canned

locution adjectivale (nourriture : en conserve)

(adjective: Describes a noun or pronoun--for example, "a tall girl," "an interesting book," "a big house.")
Les fruits en boîte sont pratiques à transporter.
Canned fruit is easy to transport.

shut your gob, shut your cakehole

locution verbale (familier (se taire) (UK, informal)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

tease

locution verbale (se moquer de)

(transitive verb: Verb taking a direct object--for example, "Say something." "She found the cat.")
Pierre aime bien mettre ses amis en boîte.

tease, teasing

nom féminin (familier (moquerie)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)

tin opener

nom masculin (ustensile) (UK)

(noun: Refers to person, place, thing, quality, etc.)
Mince ! J'ai bien pensé à prendre des boîtes de conserve pour le camping, mais pas l'ouvre-boîte !

open Pandora's box

locution verbale (figuré (provoquer une dispute) (figurative)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")
En abordant ce sujet polémique, il a ouvert la boîte de Pandore.

collect your mail, collect the mail, pick up your mail, pick up the mail

locution verbale (vérifier le contenu d'une boîte)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

go clubbing

locution verbale (familier (aller en boîte de nuit)

(verbal expression: Phrase with special meaning functioning as verb--for example, "put their heads together," "come to an end.")

Let's learn French

So now that you know more about the meaning of boîte in French, you can learn how to use them through selected examples and how to read them. And remember to learn the related words that we suggest. Our website is constantly updating with new words and new examples so you can look up the meanings of other words you don't know in French.

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French (le français) is a Romance language. Like Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish, it comes from popular Latin, once used in the Roman Empire. A French-speaking person or country can be called a "Francophone". French is the official language in 29 countries. French is the fourth most spoken native language in the European Union. French ranks third in the EU, after English and German, and is the second most widely taught language after English. The majority of the world's French-speaking population lives in Africa, with about 141 million Africans from 34 countries and territories who can speak French as a first or second language. French is the second most widely spoken language in Canada, after English, and both are official languages at the federal level. It is the first language of 9.5 million people or 29% and the second language of 2.07 million people or 6% of the entire population of Canada. In contrast to other continents, French has no popularity in Asia. Currently, no country in Asia recognizes French as an official language.