marteau

hammer

noun mar-TOH Less Common

Also means

hammer (auction gavel), clapper (bell)

Usage Note

marteau follows the -eau plural: marteaux. Passer sous le marteau ('to go under the hammer') is the idiom for an item being auctioned. In informal French, être marteau means 'to be crazy/nuts' — an adjective use with no change of form. The verb marteler means 'to hammer' and also 'to pound out (a rhythm)'.

Examples

"Il plante un clou avec un marteau."

Natural Translation

He drives a nail with a hammer.

Related Words

Explore French by topic

FrenchNow

French Liaison Rules: When to Link Words (and Not To)

French liaison links a silent final consonant to the next vowel. Learn the obligatory, forbidden, and optional rules, plus the s→z and d→t sound shifts.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

FrenchNow

Tu vs Vous: When to Use Each in French

Tu vs vous in French: use tu for one friend, family, or child, and vous for strangers, elders, your boss, and any group. A clear etiquette guide.

June 3, 2026 6 min read

FrenchNow

Telling Time in French: Hours, Quarters, 24-Hour

Telling time in French means Il est cinq heures, et quart, et demie, and the 24-hour clock like quatorze heures trente. Read any French schedule.

June 4, 2026 5 min read

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