africain
/a.fʁi.kɛ̃/
The English word "african" is translated into French as africain.
africain is used as an adjective meaning of or pertaining to Africa.
Meaning: of or pertaining to Africa (adj)
Which one should you use?
When used as an adjective, africain is not capitalized in French.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern African countries like Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, the term Maghrébin(e) is used to refer to individuals from that region. In Caribbean countries where French is spoken, Afro-Caribéen(ne) is used to describe someone of African descent from the Caribbean region.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form is africaine. For plural forms, use africains for masculine plural and africaines for feminine plural. When referring to people (a noun), the masculine form is Africain and the feminine form is Africaine.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables: /a.fʁi.kɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- The word africain is inherited from the Latin africānus, which originally referred specifically to the province of Africa Proconsularis in North Africa.
- When pronouncing africain, the final 'n' is not a hard consonant. Instead, it functions as a marker to create a nasal vowel sound, which is a distinct feature of French phonology.
- While africain describes the continent, French speakers often use the phrase l'Afrique subsaharienne to distinguish regions south of the Sahara.
Examples in context
- L'antilope est un mammifère africain.The antelope in an African mammal.This sentence is useful for identifying an antelope as an africain mammal.Tatoeba #5654043 by Yemana, translation #5651285 by Mar1L
- J'aime le nouveau drapeau sud-africain.I like the new South African flag.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for a South African flag using africain.Tatoeba #11838050 by Amastan, translation #1769838 by Amastan
- Le Sahara occidental est un pays africain.Western Sahara is an African nation.This sentence is useful for describing Western Sahara as an africain nation.Tatoeba #10962988 by Amastan, translation #10331956 by Amastan
- L'écrivain africain a remporté de nombreux prix littéraires.The African writer has won many literary awards.
- La culture africaine est riche et diversifiée.African culture is rich and diverse.
- L'Africain qui a présenté la conférence était très éloquent.The African man who gave the conference was very eloquent.
- L'Africaine qui travaille avec nous est une avocate renommée.The African woman who works with us is a renowned lawyer.
- Ce DJ est super cool. Il a un style afro unique.This DJ is really cool. He has a unique Afro style.
- J'ai rencontré un gars africain hier soir – super sympa !I met an African guy last night – really nice!
- T'as vu la nouvelle voisine ? Elle est africaine, je crois.Have you seen the new neighbor? I think she's African.
- Les Africaines qui ont participé à la compétition étaient très talentueuses.The African women who participated in the competition were very talented.
- Certains Africains ont des traditions culinaires uniques.Some Africans have unique culinary traditions.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are browsing a bookstore.
- ManonTu as lu ce livre africain ?Have you read this African book?
- GabrielNon, mais il a l'air intéressant.No, but it looks interesting.
- ManonGabriel, regarde cette carte de l'histoire africaine.Gabriel, look at this map of African history.
- GabrielElle est magnifique, Manon.It is beautiful, Manon.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “african” translations and entries africain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries africain, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
