avatar
/a.va.taʁ/masculine
In French, the English phrase 'avatar' can be translated as avatar. If unsure, use avatar. Wiktionary also lists photo de profil.
Meaning: digital representation of a person or being (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| avatar | /a.va.taʁ/ | masculine |
| photo de profil | feminine |
The term refers to a digital representation of a person or being.
Which one should you use?
While avatar is used specifically for digital representations, the phrase photo de profil is a more common, everyday way to refer to a user's profile picture on social media.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun avatar is masculine, so you would say un avatar.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /a.va.taʁ/.
Did you know?
- The word avatar comes from the Sanskrit word avatāra, which means a 'descent of a deity from a heaven'.
- In French, avatar can be used as a metaphor for a person who embodies a specific quality or represents someone else in a non-digital context.
- While photo de profil is used for social media, French speakers use the term avatar when the image is a stylized drawing or an icon rather than a real photograph.
Examples in context
- Tu connais le film « Avatar » ?Do you know the movie Avatar?This sentence uses the form avatar to refer to the movie title.Tatoeba #5324613 by Aiji, translation #4942073 by charleskwc
- Il a doublé une voix dans "Avatar".He has dubbed in "Avatar".Tatoeba #348484 by sysko, translation #348485 by sysko
- J'ai besoin de changer mon image de profil sur ce site.I need to change my profile picture on this site.
- Ton avatar est vraiment stylé.Your avatar is really cool.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their online gaming profiles.
- LucasJ'adore ton nouvel avatar.I love your new avatar.
- EmmaMerci, Lucas ! C'est un personnage de fantasy.Thanks, Lucas! It is a fantasy character.
- LucasIl a l'air très puissant.It looks very powerful.
- EmmaOui, il est difficile à battre.Yes, it is hard to beat.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “avatar” translations and entries avatar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries avatar, de, photo, profil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
