Geography And Landforms Vocabulary In French (Montagnes, Rivières, Îles…)

yak holding “French Geography Vocabulary” with landform icons.

My first real geography lesson in France didn’t happen in a classroom. It happened on a hiking trail in the Alps when a French friend said:

On remonte encore un peu la vallée /ɔ̃ ʁə.mɔ̃t ɑ̃.kɔʁ ɛ̃ pø la va.le/ — “We’re going a bit further up the valley.”

I heard: “We’re going a bit further up to die.”

I didn’t know the word vallée /va.le/ — valley — yet. I just knew that every time he used the word montagne /mɔ̃.taɲ/ — mountain — the path got steeper and my soul left my yak body.

The good news: once you learn some basic geography words in French, maps, weather reports, travel shows, and small talk about “the sea vs the mountains” suddenly make sense. This guide gives you the core vocabulaire de la géographie /vɔ.ka.bylɛʁ də la ʒe.ɔ.ɡʁa.fi/ you actually need.

Quick Primer: Talking About Places In French

Before we zoom into mountains and rivers, a few basic terms:

French | IPA | English
la géographie | /la ʒe.ɔ.ɡʁa.fi/ | geography
une carte | /yn kaʁt/ | a map
le monde | /lə mɔ̃d/ | the world
un pays | /œ̃ pɛ.i/ | a country
une région | /yn ʁe.ʒjɔ̃/ | a region
une ville | /yn vil/ | a city, town
un paysage | /œ̃ pe.i.zaʒ/ | a landscape

Two useful verbs:

French | IPA | English
se trouver | /sə tʁu.ve/ | to be located, to be found
être situé(e) | /ɛtʁə si.tɥe/ | to be located

Examples:

La France se trouve en Europe.
/la fʁɑ̃s sə tʁuv ɑ̃ n‿ø.ʁɔp/
France is located in Europe.

Paris est située dans le nord de la France.
/pa.ʁi ɛ si.tɥe dɑ̃ lə nɔʁ də la fʁɑ̃s/
Paris is located in the north of France.

Usage note:
In geography descriptions, se trouver and être situé are much more natural than just être.

Continents, Oceans, And Big Things

Let’s start with the macro view: continents and oceans.

Continents In French

French | IPA | English
l’Europe | /l‿ø.ʁɔp/ | Europe
l’Afrique | /la.fʁik/ | Africa
l’Asie | /la.zi/ | Asia
l’Amérique du Nord | /la.me.ʁik dy nɔʁ/ | North America
l’Amérique du Sud | /la.me.ʁik dy syd/ | South America
l’Océanie | /lɔ.se.a.ni/ | Oceania
l’Antarctique | /lɑ̃.taʁk.tik/ | Antarctica

Example:

L’Europe et l’Asie forment un grand continent.
/l‿ø.ʁɔp e la.zi fɔʁm œ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃/
Europe and Asia form a large continent.

Oceans And Seas

French | IPA | English
un océan | /œ̃ ɔ.se.ɑ̃/ | an ocean
la mer | /la mɛʁ/ | the sea
la mer Méditerranée | /la mɛʁ me.di.tɛ.ʁa.ne/ | the Mediterranean Sea
l’océan Atlantique | /l‿ɔ.se.ɑ̃ a.tlɑ̃.tik/ | the Atlantic Ocean
l’océan Pacifique | /l‿ɔ.se.ɑ̃ pa.si.fik/ | the Pacific Ocean
l’océan Indien | /l‿ɔ.se.ɑ̃ ɛ̃.djɛ̃/ | the Indian Ocean

Usage note:
In French, mer is generally smaller and more enclosed than océan, but in daily conversation you mostly say la mer whenever you mean “the seaside”.

Mountains, Hills, Valleys, And Plains

If you want to talk about landscapes in France, you need the “mountain family”.

Basic Landforms

French | IPA | English
une montagne | /yn mɔ̃.taɲ/ | a mountain
un massif montagneux | /œ̃ ma.sif mɔ̃.ta.ɲø/ | a mountain range
une colline | /yn kɔ.lin/ | a hill
une vallée | /yn va.le/ | a valley
un plateau | /œ̃ pla.to/ | a plateau
une plaine | /yn plɛn/ | a plain
un versant | /œ̃ vɛʁ.sɑ̃/ | a slope (side of a mountain)

Example sentences:

Les Alpes sont une chaîne de montagnes.
/le.z‿alp sɔ̃ tyn ʃɛn də mɔ̃.taɲ/
The Alps are a mountain range.

La vallée est très large et la plaine est fertile.
/la va.le ɛ tʁɛ laʁʒ e la plɛn ɛ fɛʁ.til/
The valley is very wide and the plain is fertile.

More Advanced Features

French | IPA | English
un sommet | /œ̃ sɔ.mɛ/ | a summit, peak
un col | /œ̃ kɔl/ | a pass (mountain pass)
une falaise | /yn fa.lɛz/ | a cliff
un canyon | /œ̃ ka.njɔn/ | a canyon

Usage notes:

  • montagneux /mɔ̃.ta.ɲø/ means “mountainous”:
    • une région montagneuse /yn ʁe.ʒjɔ̃ mɔ̃.ta.ɲøz/ — a mountainous region.
  • plat /pla/ means “flat”:
    • un paysage plat — a flat landscape.

Rivers, Lakes, And Water Features

French loves a key distinction that learners often miss: un fleuve /œ̃ flœv/ vs une rivière /yn ʁi.vjɛʁ/.

Rivers, Streams, Lakes

French | IPA | English
un fleuve | /œ̃ flœv/ | a river (flows into the sea)
une rivière | /yn ʁi.vjɛʁ/ | a river (flows into another river/lake)
un cours d’eau | /œ̃ kuʁ do/ | a watercourse, stream
une source | /yn suʁs/ | a spring (source of a river)
un lac | /œ̃ lak/ | a lake
un étang | /œ̃ e.tɑ̃/ | a pond

Example:

La Seine est un fleuve qui traverse Paris.
/la sɛn ɛ œ̃ flœv ki tʁa.vɛʁs pa.ʁi/
The Seine is a river that goes through Paris.

Cette rivière se jette dans le fleuve.
/sɛt ʁi.vjɛʁ sə ʒɛt dɑ̃ lə flœv/
This river flows into the main river.

Water Movements

French | IPA | English
traverser | /tʁa.vɛʁ.se/ | to cross, go through
couler | /ku.le/ | to flow
se jeter dans | /sə ʒə.te dɑ̃/ | to flow into (for rivers)

Une rivière coule dans la vallée.
/yn ʁi.vjɛʁ kul dɑ̃ la va.le/
A river flows through the valley.

Coasts, Beaches, Islands, And Seasides

If you’re more “beach towel” than “hiking boots”, this is your set.

French | IPA | English
la côte | /la kot/ | the coast
le littoral | /lə li.tɔ.ʁal/ | the coastline, coastal region
une plage | /yn plaʒ/ | a beach
une dune | /yn dyn/ | a dune
une falaise | /yn fa.lɛz/ | a cliff
une baie | /yn bɛ/ | a bay
un golfe | /œ̃ ɡɔlf/ | a gulf
une péninsule | /yn pe.nɛ̃.syl/ | a peninsula
une île | /yn il/ | an island
un archipel | /œ̃ naʁ.ʃi.pɛl/ | an archipelago

Example:

La côte atlantique française est très variée.
/la kot at.lɑ̃.tik fʁɑ̃.sɛz ɛ tʁɛ va.ʁje/
The French Atlantic coast is very varied.

La Bretagne est une péninsule avec beaucoup de falaises.
/la bʁə.taɲ ɛ tyn pe.nɛ̃.syl avɛk bo.ku də fa.lɛz/
Brittany is a peninsula with many cliffs.

Deserts, Forests, Jungles, And “Wild” Land

Not everything is mountains or sea; sometimes it’s just… a lot of sand or trees.

French | IPA | English
un désert | /œ̃ de.zɛʁ/ | a desert
une oasis | /yn wa.a.zis/ | an oasis
une savane | /yn sa.van/ | a savanna
une steppe | /yn stɛp/ | a steppe
une forêt | /yn fɔ.ʁɛ/ | a forest
une forêt tropicale | /yn fɔ.ʁɛ tʁɔ.pi.kal/ | a tropical forest
une jungle | /yn ʒœ̃ɡl/ | a jungle
une prairie | /yn pʁɛ.ʁi/ | a meadow, grassland
un marais | /œ̃ ma.ʁɛ/ | a marsh, swamp

Example:

Une grande partie du pays est couverte de forêts.
/yn ɡʁɑ̃d paʁ.ti dy pɛ.i ɛ ku.vɛʁt də fɔ.ʁɛ/
A large part of the country is covered with forests.

Il y a beaucoup de marais dans cette région.
/il j‿a bo.ku də ma.ʁɛ dɑ̃ sɛt ʁe.ʒjɔ̃/
There are many marshes in this region.

Volcanoes, Caves, Glaciers, And Fancy Geography Words

These are the fun extras you hear in documentaries or travel shows.

French | IPA | English
un volcan | /œ̃ vɔl.kɑ̃/ | a volcano
un volcan actif | /œ̃ vɔl.kɑ̃ ak.tif/ | an active volcano
un volcan éteint | /œ̃ vɔl.kɑ̃ e.tɛ̃/ | an extinct volcano
une éruption | /yn e.ʁyp.sjɔ̃/ | an eruption
une grotte | /yn ɡʁɔt/ | a cave
un glacier | /œ̃ ɡla.sje/ | a glacier
un fjord | /œ̃ fjɔʁd/ | a fjord
une chute d’eau | /yn ʃyt do/ | a waterfall
une cascade | /yn kas.kad/ | a cascade, smaller falls

Example:

La Réunion est une île volcanique avec plusieurs volcans actifs.
/la ʁe.y.njɔ̃ ɛ tyn il vɔl.ka.nik avɛk ply.zjøʁ vɔl.kɑ̃ ak.tif/
Réunion is a volcanic island with several active volcanoes.

Cette grotte se trouve dans la montagne.
/sɛt ɡʁɔt sə tʁuv dɑ̃ la mɔ̃.taɲ/
This cave is located in the mountain.

Useful Adjectives And Verbs For Describing Landscapes

Once you have the nouns, you need words to describe them.

Adjectives

French | IPA | English
montagneux / montagneuse | /mɔ̃.ta.ɲø, mɔ̃.ta.ɲøz/ | mountainous
plat / plate | /pla, plat/ | flat
sec / sèche | /sɛk, sɛʃ/ | dry
humide | /y.mid/ | humid, damp
tropical / tropicale | /tʁɔ.pi.kal/ | tropical
rural / rurale | /ʁy.ʁal/ | rural
côtier / côtière | /ko.tje, ko.tjɛʁ/ | coastal

Verbs

French | IPA | English
s’étendre | /se.tɑ̃dʁ/ | to extend, stretch
border | /bɔʁ.de/ | to border
culminer à | /kyl.mi.ne a/ | to reach (a height)
dominer | /dɔ.mi.ne/ | to overlook, dominate

Examples:

La plaine s’étend sur plusieurs kilomètres.
/la plɛn se.tɑ̃ syʁ ply.zjœʁ ki.lɔ.mɛtʁ/
The plain stretches over several kilometres.

Cette montagne culmine à trois mille mètres.
/sɛt mɔ̃.taɲ kyl.mi.na tʁwa mil mɛtʁ/
This mountain reaches three thousand metres.

Usage note:
Geography descriptions in French often sound like documentary voice-over. Using verbs like s’étendre, border, dominer instantly makes you sound more native than just repeating il y a.

Region Notes: How French People Talk About Landscapes

In everyday French, people often talk about geography on a very human scale:

  • la mer /la mɛʁ/ vs la montagne /la mɔ̃.taɲ/ — the classic holiday choice: seaside or mountains.
  • la campagne /la kɑ̃.paɲ/ — the countryside, often described as calme /kalm/ and verte /vɛʁt/.
  • le sud /lə syd/ — the south (of France) = warmth, sun, olive trees, wine.
  • le nord /lə nɔʁ/ — the north = colder, but everyone from there insists it’s “très convivial”.

Example:

J’adore la mer, mais je préfère passer l’été à la montagne.
/ʒa.dɔʁ la mɛʁ mɛ ʒə pʁe.fɛʁ pa.se le.te a la mɔ̃.taɲ/
I love the sea, but I prefer spending summer in the mountains.

Mini Dialogues: Geography In Conversation

Dialogue 1: Sea Or Mountains?

Tu préfères la mer ou la montagne ?
/ty pʁe.fɛʁ la mɛʁ u la mɔ̃.taɲ/
Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?

La montagne, j’adore les vallées et les lacs.
/la mɔ̃.taɲ ʒa.dɔʁ le va.le e le lak/
The mountains, I love the valleys and the lakes.

Moi, je choisis toujours la côte atlantique.
/mwa ʒə ʃwa.zi tu.ʒuʁ la kot at.lɑ̃.tik/
Me, I always choose the Atlantic coast.

Parfait, on échange les vacances.
/paʁ.fɛ ɔ̃ n‿e.ʃɑ̃ʒ le va.kɑ̃s/
Perfect, we’ll swap vacations.

Dialogue 2: Describing A Country

Comment est le paysage dans ton pays ?
/kɔ.mɑ̃ ɛ lə pe.i.zaʒ dɑ̃ tɔ̃ pɛ.i/
What is the landscape like in your country?

C’est assez plat, avec beaucoup de plaines et de forêts.
/sɛ ta.se pla avɛk bo.ku də plɛn e də fɔ.ʁɛ/
It’s quite flat, with lots of plains and forests.

Chez moi, il y a des montagnes et un grand désert.
/ʃe mwa il j‿a de mɔ̃.taɲ e œ̃ ɡʁɑ̃ de.zɛʁ/
Where I’m from, there are mountains and a big desert.

Un jour, je viendrai explorer tout ça.
/œ̃ ʒuʁ ʒə vjɛ̃.dʁe ɛk.splɔ.ʁe tu sa/
One day, I’ll come and explore all that.

Dialogue 3: Understanding A Map

La rivière traverse la ville ici.
/la ʁi.vjɛʁ tʁa.vɛʁs la vil i.si/
The river crosses the city here.

Et le fleuve, il se jette dans la mer, là-bas ?
/e lə flœv il sə ʒɛt dɑ̃ la mɛʁ la.ba/
And the main river, does it flow into the sea over there?

Oui, près de la côte, juste avant la grande baie.
/wi pʁɛ də la kot ʒyst a.vɑ̃ la ɡʁɑ̃d bɛ/
Yes, near the coast, just before the big bay.

D’accord, je commence à comprendre la carte.
/da.kɔʁ ʒə kɔ.mɑ̃s a kɔ̃.pʁɑ̃dʁ la kaʁt/
Okay, I’m starting to understand the map.

Quick Reference: Core Geography And Landform Words

French | IPA | English
la géographie | /la ʒe.ɔ.ɡʁa.fi/ | geography
une carte | /yn kaʁt/ | map
le monde | /lə mɔ̃d/ | world
un pays | /œ̃ pɛ.i/ | country
un continent | /œ̃ kɔ̃.ti.nɑ̃/ | continent
un océan | /œ̃ ɔ.se.ɑ̃/ | ocean
la mer | /la mɛʁ/ | sea
la côte | /la kot/ | coast
le littoral | /lə li.tɔ.ʁal/ | coastline
une île | /yn il/ | island
une montagne | /yn mɔ̃.taɲ/ | mountain
une colline | /yn kɔ.lin/ | hill
une vallée | /yn va.le/ | valley
une plaine | /yn plɛn/ | plain
un plateau | /œ̃ pla.to/ | plateau
un fleuve | /œ̃ flœv/ | river (to sea)
une rivière | /yn ʁi.vjɛʁ/ | river (to another river/lake)
un lac | /œ̃ lak/ | lake
une forêt | /yn fɔ.ʁɛ/ | forest
un désert | /œ̃ de.zɛʁ/ | desert
une plage | /yn plaʒ/ | beach
une baie | /yn bɛ/ | bay
un volcan | /œ̃ vɔl.kɑ̃/ | volcano
une grotte | /yn ɡʁɔt/ | cave

Five-Minute Practice Plan: Make The Landscape Stick

  1. Map Pointing Game
     Open any map (paper or on screen). Choose three different zones and say:
    • Ici, c’est la montagne.
    • Là, c’est la côte.
    • Là-bas, il y a une grande plaine.
  2. Sea vs Mountains Script
     Say out loud two mini-monologues:
    • J’aime la mer parce que… (3 reasons: plage, climat, vue…)
    • J’aime la montagne parce que…
  3. Fleuve vs Rivière Drill
     Make three sentences using un fleuve and three using une rivière.
    Example: Cette rivière se jette dans le fleuve.
  4. Describe Your Home Region
     In 3–4 sentences, describe where you live or grew up:
    • flat or mountainous?
    • forest, sea, river, lake?
      Use adjectives like plat, montagneux, humide, sec, côtier.
  5. Mini Documentary Voice-Over
     Pick a famous place (the Alps, the Amazon, the Sahara, your local area) and narrate in dramatic French for 30 seconds:
    • Cette région est…
    • Le paysage s’étend…
    • La rivière traverse…

Turning Your French Into A Living Map

Once you can say montagne, vallée, fleuve, côte, île, désert without hesitation, French stops being just restaurant menus and verb drills and starts to feel like what it describes: real places, real maps, real horizons.

And the next time a French friend suggests “just a little walk up the vallée”, at least you’ll know what you’re signing up for before your legs start negotiating a peace treaty.

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