Dictionary / The library
How to Say "The library" in French
La bibliothèque
/la biblijɔtɛk/
Literally: The library
La
the
bibliothèque
library
Good to know
Bibliothèque also means bookcase, the piece of furniture, when it's in someone's living room rather than on a street sign.
Correct
La bibliothèque
What people say wrong
La librairie
the bookshop
The mistake to avoid. A librairie sells books; a bibliothèque lends them. Asking a stranger for directions to la librairie when you wanted somewhere quiet to read is the classic first-week-in-Paris error.
In context
Où est la bibliothèque, s'il vous plaît ?
Where is the library, please?
J'emprunte des livres à la bibliothèque.
I borrow books from the library.
Je l'ai acheté à la librairie du coin.
I bought it at the local bookshop.