bicyclette

bicycle

noun bee-see-KLET Rare

Origin: French bi- ('two') + Greek kyklos ('circle/wheel')

Usage Note

Bicyclette is the full, slightly formal word for a bicycle; vélo is the everyday informal equivalent. The phrase faire de la bicyclette means 'to go cycling'. The Tour de France, the world's most famous cycling race, has made bicyclette and vélo culturally iconic French words.

Examples

"Elle se rend au travail à bicyclette."

Natural Translation

She goes to work by bicycle.

Free starter pack

Building your French vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common French words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

Avoir or Être? Picking the Right Past-Tense Helper

Use avoir for the passé composé unless the verb is reflexive or one of ~16 DR MRS VANDERTRAMP motion verbs, which take être and force agreement.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Sorry in French: Désolé vs Pardon vs Excusez-moi

Use désolé for genuine regret, pardon to bump or squeeze past, and excusez-moi to get attention. A situation-by-situation guide to saying sorry in French.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French False Friends: 25 Faux Amis to Avoid

French false friends look like English words but mean something else: actuellement is not actually, sensible means sensitive. Here are 25 faux amis to avoid.

June 3, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

French Adjective Placement: Before or After the Noun?

French adjectives usually follow the noun, but a small common set goes before it — and a few change meaning depending on which side they sit. Here's the rule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read