Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| en colère | /ɑ̃ kɔ.lɛʁ/ |
| fâché | /fa.ʃe/ /fɑ.ʃe/ |
French has several ways to express being angry. You can use en colère to describe a state of anger, or fâché to describe being upset or offended. For a more formal way to say 'to feel anger', you can use Ressentir de la colère.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase en colère literally translates to 'in anger'.
Which one should you use?
While both terms mean 'angry', en colère is a more intense expression of a state of being. In contrast, fâché can also imply that someone is 'upset' or 'offended' with another person.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The expression Il est vénère. is an informal way to say 'He is angry' that is found mainly in the French suburbs.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective fâché must agree in gender with the subject. Use fâchée if the person being described is female.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃ kɔ.lɛʁ/
Did you know?
- To describe someone who is 'fuming' or 'boiling' with anger, French speakers often use the expression avoir la moutarde qui monte au nez.
- The slang term vénère is actually a form of 'verlan', a type of French slang where syllables of a word are inverted.
- The word colère shares its historical roots with the English word 'cholera', as both stem from the ancient Greek word for bile.
Examples in context
- Tu es fâché ?Are you angry?This example shows how to ask if someone is feeling fâché.Tatoeba #1245802 by Ppjet6, translation #476326 by Hybrid
- Ne sois pas fâché.Don't be angry.This example is a way to tell someone not to be fâché.Tatoeba #129553 by dominiko, translation #279583 by CK
- Tom est en colère.Tom's angry.This example uses en colère to state that Tom is angry.Tatoeba #2798957 by Rockaround, translation #2107450 by CK
- Je suis en colèreI am angry
- Je ressens de la colèreI feel angry
- Il est furieuxHe is furious
- Elle est en rageShe is furious
- Je suis en colère contre ton comportement irrespectueux.I am angry about your disrespectful behavior.
- Tu me rends furieux avec tes remarques constantes.You make me furious with your constant remarks.
- 493 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking at home after a misunderstanding.
- LéaPourquoi es-tu en colère ?Why are you angry?
- HugoJe ne suis pas en colère contre toi.I am not angry with you.
- LéaTu as l'air en colère.You look angry.
- HugoC'est juste une longue journée.It's just a long day.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “angry” translations and entries en colère, fâché, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries colère, en, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
