av. J.-C.
/a.vɑ̃ ʒe.zy.kʁi/
BC in French is av. J.-C, short for avant Jésus-Christ. If unsure, use av. J.-C. Wiktionary also lists av. JC (avant Jésus-Christ) and av. n. è.
Meaning: before Christ (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| av. J.-C. | /a.vɑ̃ ʒe.zy.kʁi/ |
| av. JC (avant Jésus-Christ) | |
| av. n. è. | /a.vɑ̃ nɔ.tʁ‿ɛʁ/ |
| avant notre ère | /a.vɑ̃ nɔ.tʁ‿ɛʁ/ |
French writes av. J.-C. after a year to mark a date before the birth of Christ, just as English writes BC.
What does it mean word for word?
The abbreviation av. J.-C. stands for avant Jésus-Christ, which literally means before Jesus Christ.
Which one should you use?
av. n. è. stands for avant notre ère and is the secular equivalent, often preferred in academic or scientific texts to avoid religious connotations. A more precise way to say Before the Common Era is Avant notre ère commune.
How does it change in a sentence?
The standard written abbreviation uses full stops and a hyphen, as in av. J.-C.
How do you pronounce it?
Read in full, the abbreviation is pronounced /a.vɑ̃ ʒe.zy.kʁi/.
Did you know?
- While av. J.-C. is the religious term, the secular av. n. è. (avant notre ère) is increasingly used in French museums and textbooks to provide a neutral, scientific perspective on history.
- In French, avant does not just refer to time, but also to physical position, meaning 'in front of'. This reflects its Latin root ante, which describes both being prior in time and forward in space.
- The term avant notre ère differs from the English 'Before Common Era' because it literally translates to 'before our era' rather than 'the common era'.
Examples in context
- Ils ont découvert des vestiges datant de 1000 avant Jésus-Christ.They discovered relics dating back to 1000 BC.
- Cette civilisation a prospéré avant l'ère chrétienne.This civilization flourished before the Christian era.
- Le règne de Cléopâtre remonte à plus de 2000 ans avant notre ère commune.The reign of Cleopatra dates back over 2000 years before the Common Era.
- Les premières colonies humaines en Europe remontent à plusieurs milliers d'années avant Jésus-Christ.The first human settlements in Europe date back several thousand years BC.
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are studying history in a library.
- HugoQuand Caesar est-il né ?When was Caesar born?
- LéaIl est né en 100 av. J.-C.He was born in 100 BC.
- HugoC'est vraiment très ancien, Léa.That is really very ancient, Léa.
- LéaOui, c'est une période fascinante.Yes, it is a fascinating period.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bc” translations and entries av. J.-C., av. n. è., avant notre ère, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries av. J.-C., av. n. è., avant, notre, è, ère, CC BY-SA 4.0.
