Droit vs. droite
The French words droit and droite sound the same but have distinct genders and meanings, covering concepts from law and rights to direction and straightness. The difference often depends on whether they are used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
Droit
A1As a masculine noun (le droit), it means law, a right, or a fee. As a masculine adjective, it means straight or upright. As an adverb, it means straight ahead.
Il étudie le droit à l'université.
(He studies law at the university.)
C'est votre droit de refuser.
(It is your right to refuse.)
Il faut payer des droits de douane sur ce produit.
(You have to pay customs duties on this product.)
Le mur n'est pas parfaitement droit.
(The wall is not perfectly straight.)
Tiens-toi droit quand tu parles au directeur.
(Stand up straight when you speak to the director.)
Pour aller à la poste, continuez tout droit.
(To get to the post office, continue straight ahead.)
Droite
A1As a feminine noun (la droite), it means the right side, the right hand, or the political right wing. As a feminine adjective, it is the feminine form of droit and means straight or right (opposite of left).
Tournez à la prochaine rue à droite.
(Turn at the next street on the right.)
En politique, il se situe plutôt à droite.
(In politics, he is more on the right.)
Levez la main droite si vous connaissez la réponse.
(Raise your right hand if you know the answer.)
Tracez une ligne droite entre les deux points.
(Draw a straight line between the two points.)
Cette étagère n'est pas droite, les livres vont tomber.
(This shelf is not straight, the books are going to fall.)
Elle a gardé la tête droite malgré les difficultés.
(She kept her head held high despite the difficulties.)
Summary
In essence, droit is primarily used as a masculine noun for abstract concepts like law and rights, or as a masculine adjective/adverb for straight. In contrast, droite is the feminine equivalent, most commonly used as a noun (la droite) to mean the right side or as a feminine adjective to describe something as straight or on the right.