bricoleur
§ Understanding 'bricoleur'
- French Word
- bricoleur (noun)
- CEFR Level
- A2
- Definition
- A person who is good at practical home repairs and odd jobs. Think of someone who enjoys DIY (Do It Yourself) projects.
§ How to use 'bricoleur' in a sentence
The word 'bricoleur' is a masculine noun. Its feminine equivalent is 'bricoleuse'. It refers to someone who is handy, a DIYer, or a handyman (or woman). You can use it to describe someone who likes to fix things around the house, build things, or generally undertake small projects themselves rather than hiring a professional. This is a very common and useful word in everyday French conversation.
Here are some common ways to use 'bricoleur' in sentences:
- To describe a person's hobby or skill:
Mon père est un excellent bricoleur.
(My father is an excellent handyman / DIYer.)
Elle est une bricoleuse très talentueuse.
(She is a very talented DIYer / handywoman.)
- To talk about someone who enjoys doing DIY:
Il aime être bricoleur le week-end.
(He likes to do DIY / be a handyman on the weekend.)
- In a question:
Es-tu un bon bricoleur ?
(Are you a good handyman / DIYer?)
- Referring to someone who prefers to fix things themselves:
Je ne suis pas un grand bricoleur, alors j'appelle souvent des professionnels.
(I'm not a big handyman / DIYer, so I often call professionals.)
§ Related vocabulary and phrases
To expand your understanding, here are some related terms:
Faire du bricolage: To do DIY.
Nous allons faire du bricolage ce week-end pour réparer la clôture.
(We are going to do some DIY this weekend to fix the fence.)
Un homme à tout faire: A jack-of-all-trades, a handyman. This is very similar to 'bricoleur' but can sometimes imply a professional or someone who is hired for various tasks.
Mon voisin est un homme à tout faire.
(My neighbor is a jack-of-all-trades / handyman.)
Bricoler: (verb) To tinker, to do odd jobs, to mess around with something.
Il passe ses soirées à bricoler dans son garage.
(He spends his evenings tinkering in his garage.)
Related Content
More home words
à disposition
B1Available for use; at one's disposal.
à distance de
B1At a certain distance from something.
à droite de
B1To the right of; on the right side of.
à gauche de
B1To the left of; on the left side of.
à gaz
A2Powered by gas; gas-powered.
à la maison
A2At home; in one's place of residence.
à l'écart
B1Away from others; apart; aside.
à l'étage
B1On an upper floor of a building; upstairs.
à l'extérieur
A2On or to the outer side or surface of something.
à l'intérieur
A2In or to the inner part or interior of something.
