Verre vs. vitre
While both verre and vitre relate to the material we know as glass, they are not interchangeable in French. Verre refers to the material itself or a drinking container, whereas vitre specifically means a pane of glass, such as in a window or a door.
Verre
A1Verre is a masculine noun that refers to the material glass itself. It is also the most common word for a drinking glass.
Pouvez-vous me donner un verre d'eau ?
(Can you give me a glass of water?)
Cette table est faite de bois et de verre.
(This table is made of wood and glass.)
Fais attention, il y a des éclats de verre sur le sol.
(Be careful, there are shards of glass on the floor.)
Les bouteilles de vin sont presque toujours en verre.
(Wine bottles are almost always made of glass.)
J'ai cassé mon verre préféré en faisant la vaisselle.
(I broke my favorite glass while doing the dishes.)
Le recyclage du verre est important pour l'environnement.
(Glass recycling is important for the environment.)
Vitre
A2Vitre is a feminine noun that refers to a flat sheet of glass set in a frame. This includes window panes, glass panels in doors, car windows, or display cases.
Il faut nettoyer les vitres de la maison.
(We need to clean the house's windows.)
Le ballon de football a brisé la vitre du salon.
(The soccer ball shattered the living room window pane.)
J'ai vu une belle robe dans la vitre du magasin.
(I saw a beautiful dress in the store's window.)
La vitre de la portière de ma voiture ne descend plus.
(My car's door window doesn't go down anymore.)
La porte de la bibliothèque a une petite vitre.
(The library door has a small glass pane.)
La condensation s'est formée sur la vitre de la cuisine.
(Condensation has formed on the kitchen window.)
Summary
In short, use verre (masculine) for the material glass or for a drinking glass. Use vitre (feminine) for a pane of glass that you find in a window, a door, a car, or a display case. You drink from a verre, but you look through a vitre.