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How to Say ‘A carry-on bag’ in French

Un bagage à main

uhn bah-GAHZH ah manh

[uhn bah-GAHZH ah manh]

Phrase Breakdown

Un bagage

uhn bah-GAHZH

A piece of luggage

'Un' is a nasal sound. In 'bagage' both g's are different: the first is hard (ba-GA), the second soft like 'zh' (GAZH).

Example

Un bagage est perdu.

A piece of luggage is lost.

Words in this phrase

[uhn]

a / an

An indefinite article used before a masculine singular noun.

Example

Un grand repas est prévu pour son anniversaire.

A big meal is planned for his/her birthday.

bagage

[bah-GAHZH]

bag, piece of luggage

A masculine noun for a suitcase or bag you travel with.

Example

Mon bagage est très lourd.

My bag is very heavy.

à main

ah manh

hand (carry-on)

'À main' means 'by hand' and turns 'bagage' into 'carry-on'. 'Main' is nasal, close to 'man' without the 'n'.

Example

Un sac à main.

A handbag.

Words in this phrase

[ah]

for, with (in compound nouns)

Preposition linking two nouns to show purpose or manner; here 'bagage à main' means hand luggage.

Example

une brosse à dents

a toothbrush

main

[manh]

hand

The hand; in class this usually means raising your hand to speak.

Example

Dans « Levez la main. », « main » désigne le geste pour demander la parole.

In “Raise your hand.”, “main” refers to the gesture used to ask to speak.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

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