Scarf in French: Écharpe, Foulard and Other Words
Écharpe or foulard? How to say scarf in French, with pronunciation, gender, other related words and example sentences.
The word for scarf in French depends on what kind of scarf you mean. French uses two main words, and choosing between them is the first step:
- une écharpe — a warm scarf, usually long, for winter (wool, cashmere).
- un foulard — a light scarf, often silk or cotton, mainly for style.
Below you will find pronunciation, gender and plural for each word, a table of other scarf vocabulary, words for materials and patterns, and a few phrases that come in handy when shopping for a scarf in France or reading a French product page.
How to say scarf in French: écharpe
- Pronunciation: ay-SHARP
- Gender: feminine — une écharpe, l’écharpe
- Plural: des écharpes
- In English: scarf, winter scarf, muffler
Examples:
- Il fait froid, mets ton écharpe. — It’s cold, put on your scarf.
- Une écharpe en laine. — A wool scarf.
- Une écharpe en cachemire pour homme. — A men’s cashmere scarf.
Écharpe also means a sash, such as a mayor’s sash or a sling for an injured arm (avoir le bras en écharpe). The English word scarf is generally traced to the same Old French root, which is why the two words look related.
Foulard: the light scarf in French
- Pronunciation: foo-LAR (the d is silent)
- Gender: masculine — un foulard, le foulard
- Plural: des foulards
- In English: light scarf, silk scarf, neckerchief
Examples:
- Un foulard en soie. — A silk scarf.
- Il porte un foulard autour du cou. — He is wearing a scarf around his neck.
In English, “foulard” is also a fabric. See what is a foulard.
One regional note: in Quebec French, foulard is commonly used for winter scarves too, where speakers in France would usually say écharpe. If you are talking with Canadian French speakers, do not be surprised to hear foulard for a thick wool scarf.
Other ways to say scarf in French
| French | English |
|---|---|
| un cache-col | neck warmer |
| un cache-nez | muffler (literally “nose-hider”) |
| un tour de cou | neck gaiter, snood |
| un snood | infinity scarf |
| une étole | stole |
| un châle | shawl |
| un bandana | bandana |
| un carré (de soie) | square silk scarf |
| une lavallière | floppy bow tie / pussy-bow |
For what each of these shapes looks like and when it is worn, see our guide to the types of scarves.
Pronunciation tips for English speakers
French scarf words are short, but a few sounds trip people up:
- é at the start of écharpe sounds like the “ay” in “say,” but shorter and crisper.
- ch is pronounced “sh,” never “tch”: ay-SHARP, not ay-CHARP.
- The final e in écharpe is silent, so the word has two syllables.
- The final d in foulard is silent in French: foo-LAR.
- Cachemire sounds roughly like kash-MEER.
- Soie (silk) sounds like “swah.”
Stress is fairly even across French syllables, with a slight lift on the last one. Saying ay-SHARP with a light, even rhythm sounds more natural than stressing the first syllable as English speakers tend to do.
Gender and agreement
Because écharpe is feminine and foulard is masculine, adjectives change to match:
- une écharpe chaude — a warm scarf; un foulard léger — a light scarf.
- une écharpe grise — a gray scarf; un foulard gris — a gray scarf.
- une longue écharpe — a long scarf; un long foulard — a long scarf.
Most adjectives follow the noun in French, but a few common ones such as long/longue, petit/petite and beau/belle usually come before it.
Materials and patterns in French
| French | English |
|---|---|
| la laine | wool |
| la laine mérinos | merino wool |
| le cachemire | cashmere |
| la soie | silk |
| le coton | cotton |
| le lin | linen |
| uni(e) | plain, solid color |
| rayé(e) | striped |
| à carreaux | checked |
| écossais(e) | tartan, plaid |
| à chevrons | herringbone |
| à pois | polka dot |
| tricoté(e) / tissé(e) | knitted / woven |
| les franges | fringe |
So une écharpe en laine mérinos à chevrons is a merino wool herringbone scarf. If you want to know what those fibers mean in practice, our wool scarf guide and cashmere scarf guide explain the differences.
Verbs for wearing and tying a scarf
- porter une écharpe — to wear a scarf
- mettre son écharpe — to put on one’s scarf
- enlever son écharpe — to take off one’s scarf
- nouer un foulard — to tie a scarf
- enrouler l’écharpe autour du cou — to wrap the scarf around the neck
- un nœud — a knot
Want to put the words into practice? Our guide on how to wear a scarf for men covers 12 knots, from the simple drape to the twice-around.
Useful phrases when shopping
- Je cherche une écharpe pour homme. — I’m looking for a men’s scarf.
- Elle est en quelle matière ? — What is it made of?
- Elle mesure combien de long ? — How long is it?
- Vous l’avez dans une autre couleur ? — Do you have it in another color?
- C’est pour offrir. — It’s a gift.
- Lavage à la main — hand wash; nettoyage à sec — dry clean.
Notice that elle (she/it) refers back to l’écharpe because the noun is feminine. With un foulard, you would say il instead. For care instructions in English, see how to wash a wool scarf.
A short shopping conversation
Here is how the vocabulary fits together in a simple exchange in a shop:
- Bonjour, je cherche une écharpe chaude pour mon père. — Hello, I’m looking for a warm scarf for my father.
- Nous avons des écharpes en laine et en cachemire. — We have wool and cashmere scarves.
- Celle-ci, en gris, elle mesure combien ? — This one, in gray, how long is it?
- Elle fait cent quatre-vingts centimètres. — It’s 180 centimeters.
- Parfait, je la prends. C’est pour offrir. — Perfect, I’ll take it. It’s a gift.
Notice how celle-ci and la are feminine forms, matching l’écharpe. For a foulard, you would say celui-ci and je le prends.
Reading a French care label or product page
Care labels in France mostly rely on symbols, but product pages and packaging often spell out the instructions in words:
- Lavage à la main — hand wash
- Laver à 30 °C — wash at 30°C (86°F)
- Ne pas sécher en tambour — do not tumble dry
- Séchage à plat — dry flat
- Ne pas blanchir — do not bleach
- Nettoyage à sec — dry clean
Product pages also list la composition (fiber content), often as percentages, and les dimensions, given in centimeters. Divide by 2.54 to convert to inches.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Saying “un écharpe”: the word is feminine, so it is une écharpe.
- Calling a winter scarf a foulard in France: people will understand, but écharpe is the natural word there.
- Pronouncing the d in foulard: it is silent in French, even though many English speakers say it.
- Mixing up écharpe and écharde: one letter changes “scarf” into “splinter.”
Which word should you use?
- Winter, wool, warmth → écharpe.
- Silk, summer, decorative → foulard.
- Not sure? Écharpe is the more general word for a men’s scarf.
FAQ
What does écharpe mean in English?
Scarf, usually a warm winter one. It can also mean sash or sling.
Is scarf masculine or feminine in French?
It depends on the word: une écharpe is feminine; un foulard is masculine.
How do you say “men’s scarf” in French?
Une écharpe pour homme, or un foulard pour homme for a light one.
How do you say “silk scarf” in French?
Un foulard en soie. A square silk scarf can also be called un carré de soie.
What is a cache-nez?
A muffler, literally a “nose-hider”: a warm scarf you can pull up over the lower face. The word is a little old-fashioned but still understood.
What is the plural of scarf in French?
Des écharpes and des foulards. In English the usual plural is scarves; see scarfs or scarves for why.
Looking for one in English? Shop men’s scarves.