Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| américain | /a.me.ʁi.kɛ̃/ |
| états-unien | /e.ta.z‿y.njɛ̃/ |
The term is used to describe something pertaining to the United States, its people or its culture. As a noun, Américain refers to a person born in or a citizen of the United States, though it can also refer to any inhabitant of the Americas.
Which one should you use?
While américain is the most common term, it can technically refer to anyone from the Americas. In contrast, états-unien specifically refers to the United States, making it a more precise choice to avoid ambiguity.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
états-unien is a more formal and precise way to specify someone is from the United States to avoid confusion with the rest of the Americas.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on gender and number: use américaine for the feminine singular, américains for the masculine plural and américaines for the feminine plural. When used as a noun to refer to a person, the first letter is capitalized, such as in un Américain.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.me.ʁi.kɛ̃/ (4 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
When using the word as a noun to refer to a person, you must capitalize the first letter (e.g., un Américain). However, when using it as an adjective, it remains lowercase (e.g., un livre américain).
Did you know?
- The phrase à l'américaine is used in French to describe anything done in a 'big' or 'flashy' way, regardless of whether it actually comes from the U.S.
- You will often see américain used in French to describe a specific style of coffee, café américain, which refers to a diluted, long-brew coffee rather than just the origin of the bean.
- While américain is common, some French speakers use états-unien as a political statement to acknowledge that Canada, Mexico and Central and South American countries are also part of the Americas.
Examples in context
- Ils ont l'air américains.They look American.This sentence demonstrates the masculine plural form of américain.Tatoeba #1568540 by Amastan, translation #995933 by shanghainese
- Tom a un accent américain.Tom has an American accent.This sentence uses the masculine singular form of américain to describe an accent.Tatoeba #5297926 by Aiji, translation #1904470 by CK
- Elle n'est pas Américaine.She isn't American.This sentence uses the feminine form of américain.Tatoeba #9011162 by Micsmithel, translation #9009710 by Adelpa
- Je suis Américain.I am American.
- Elle est Américaine.She is American.
- On est allés chez les Américains hier soir.We went to the Americans' house last night.
- J'ai rencontré des Yankees sympas lors de mon voyage.I met some cool Yankees during my trip.
- 256 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing a film they just watched.
- HugoTu aimes le cinéma américain ?Do you like American cinema?
- ManonOui, j'adore les films américains.Yes, I love American films.
- HugoC'est vrai, c'est très populaire ici.It's true, it's very popular here.
- ManonHugo, quel est ton film préféré ?Hugo, what is your favorite film?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “american” translations and entries américain, états-unien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
