air
/ɛʁ/masculine
Air in French, the mixture of gases we breathe, is air.
air is the everyday word for the air around us. The standard way to say go outside to get some fresh air is prendre l'air. For a formal way to speak of the surrounding air, you can say Air ambiant.
Meaning: mixture of gases making up the atmosphere of the Earth (noun)
Which one should you use?
With an adjective, un air can also mean a person's look, expression or manner. The verb to air out a room is aérer, and to broadcast on air is diffuser or mettre à l'antenne.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
air is masculine, so it takes un. Because it starts with a vowel, the partitive becomes de l'air, some air and the definite article becomes l'air.
How do you pronounce it?
air is pronounced /ɛʁ/, a single syllable with the French r at the back of the throat.
Did you know?
- The expression avoir l'air is used to say someone 'seems' or 'looks' a certain way, such as tu as l'air fatigué for 'you look tired'.
- In French, the word air is also used to describe a musical tune or melody, just as in the English word 'aria'.
- While English uses 'air' for both the atmosphere and the act of breathing, French distinguishes them by using souffle for 'breath'.
Examples in context
- L'air est sec ici.The air is dry in here.L'air is the definite article shortened before the vowel.Tatoeba #12096764 by zogwarg, translation #6271281 by CK
- Il me faut de l'air.I need air.de l'air is the partitive, meaning some air.Tatoeba #5375632 by Aiji, translation #2577181 by VirtuOZ
- Je dois prendre l'air.I need to get some air.prendre l'air means to get some fresh air.Tatoeba #6567769 by felix63, translation #2387626 by CK
- La qualité de l'air ambiant est essentielle pour notre bien-êtreThe quality of the ambient air is essential for our well-being
- Il a un air mystérieuxHe has a mysterious air about him
- J'ai senti une délicieuse bouffée d'air frais lorsque j'ai ouvert la fenêtreI felt a delightful gust of fresh air when I opened the window
- L'air marin était empli du doux parfum des embrunsThe sea air was filled with the gentle scent of sea spray
- Je me suis assis sur le banc du parc, profitant de l'air ambiant et regardant les nuages passerI sat on the park bench, enjoying the ambient air and watching the clouds float by
- Le vieux manoir avait un air mystérieux et envoûtant qui attirait les curieuxThe old mansion had a mysterious and captivating air that drew in the curious
- 302 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are inside a stuffy room.
- EmmaIl n'y a plus d'air dans cette pièce.There is no more air in this room.
- LucasTu as raison, Lucas va ouvrir la fenêtre.You are right, Lucas will open the window.
- EmmaMerci, j'ai besoin d'air frais.Thank you, I need some fresh air.
- LucasC'est mieux maintenant, n'est-ce pas ?It's better now, isn't it?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “air” translations and entries air, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
