animé
/a.ni.me/masculine
The English phrase "anime" is translated into French as animé.
animé is used to refer to an animated work that originated in Japan.
Meaning: an animated work originated in Japan (noun)
Which one should you use?
While animé specifically refers to Japanese animation, the more general term for any cartoon or animated work is dessin animé. The phrase dessins animés japonais serves as a literal translation of "Japanese cartoons" to describe anime.
How does it change in a sentence?
animé is a masculine noun. Its plural form is animés, and the feminine form of the adjective is animée.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.ni.me/
Did you know?
- The English 'anime' is actually a linguistic circle, as the French word animé is a direct phonetic borrowing from the Japanese pronunciation of the English 'animation'.
- The root of animé comes from the Latin 'animatiō', which is derived from 'anima' meaning 'soul' or 'breath'.
- In French, the word animé can also be used as an adjective to describe a person or a place that is 'lively' or 'spirited'.
Examples in context
- C'est un dessin animé japonais à propos d'un écolier japonais normal qui s'est marié avec sa professeur extra-terrestre. Des choses comme ça arrivent au Japon.It's an anime about a normal Japanese schoolboy who married his alien teacher. Things like this happen in Japan.This sentence is useful for illustrating the content of an animé.Tatoeba #1233933 by sysko, translation #400693 by shekitten
- J'avais l'habitude de beaucoup regarder ce dessin animé quand j'étais enfant, mais je ne peux plus trop me rappeler ce qui est arrivé au héros dans l'ultime épisode.I used to watch this anime a lot when I was a kid, but I can't quite remember what happened to the hero in the final episode.This sentence shows how to discuss watching an animé in the past.Tatoeba #1108843 by sacredceltic, translation #1108355 by CK
- Shinichiro Watanabe a envisagé de réaliser un dessin animé sur Christophe Colomb, mais il est arrivé à la conclusion que même un film d'animation ne serait pas assez expressif pour rendre la magnificence des exploits de Colomb.Shinichirō Watanabe once considered making an anime about Christopher Columbus, but came to the conclusion that not even anime was expressive enough to properly portray the surreal greatness of Columbus's exploits.This sentence demonstrates the use of animé when discussing the expressive capabilities of animation.Tatoeba #763556 by gall, translation #563611 by FeuDRenais
- As-tu vu le nouvel anime "One Piece" ?Have you seen the new anime "One Piece"?
- Oui, j'adore les dessins animés japonais !Yes, I love Japanese cartoons!
- Ah, un vrai otaku !Ah, a true otaku!
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are at a cafe discussing their hobbies.
- NathanTu aimes quel animé ?Which anime do you like?
- LéaJ'adore cet animé de science-fiction.I love this science fiction anime.
- NathanEst-ce que c'est un bon animé ?Is it a good anime?
- LéaOui, c'est un animé incroyable.Yes, it is an incredible anime.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anime” translations and entries animé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries animé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
