Barbade
/baʁ.bad/feminine
Barbados in French is Barbade.
Barbade is the French name for the Caribbean country of Barbados.
Meaning: country in the Caribbean (name)
Which one should you use?
La Barbade is a common way to refer to the country, and L'île de la Barbade is a formal way to refer specifically to the island of Barbados.
How does it change in a sentence?
The country is a feminine noun and is typically used with the definite article la, as in la Barbade.
How do you pronounce it?
/baʁ.bad/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the English name Barbados instead of the French Barbade.
Did you know?
- The French name Barbade comes from the Portuguese word barbados, which means 'bearded'.
- In French, the feminine article la is mandatory before Barbade when used in a sentence, unlike the English way of saying 'I am going to Barbados'.
- While English speakers say 'to Barbados', a French speaker must use the prepositional phrase en Barbade to indicate they are going to the country.
Examples in context
- Hier, j'ai réservé un vol pour l'île de la Barbade . J'ai hâte d'y être!Yesterday, I booked a flight to the island of Barbados. I can't wait to be there!
- Elle veut aller en Barbade cet été.She wants to go to Barbados this summer.
- La Barbade est une île magnifique.Barbados is a magnificent island.
- Nous avons visité la Barbade l'année dernière.We visited Barbados last year.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are talking about their dream vacations.
- GabrielOù veux-tu voyager l'année prochaine, Léa ?Where do you want to travel next year, Léa?
- LéaJe rêve d'aller en Barbade.I dream of going to Barbados.
- GabrielC'est une excellente idée !That is an excellent idea!
- LéaOui, la Barbade a des plages incroyables.Yes, Barbados has incredible beaches.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “barbados” translations and entries Barbade, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Barbade, CC BY-SA 4.0.
