débutant
/de.by.tɑ̃/masculine
The French word for "beginner" is débutant.
This noun refers to someone who has recently started.
Meaning: someone who just recently started (noun)
Which one should you use?
The word changes based on the gender and number of the people being described. Use débutant for a masculine singular noun, débutante for a feminine singular noun, débutants for a masculine plural noun and débutantes for a feminine plural noun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is inflected for gender and number: débutant is masculine singular, débutante is feminine singular, débutants is masculine plural and débutantes is feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/de.by.tɑ̃/
Did you know?
- In sports or gaming, a person who is a beginner is often called a bleu, which literally translates to 'blue'.
- In a high-society context, a débutante is not just a beginner but a young woman making her first official appearance in society. This specific social role is a direct loanword from French into English.
- While débutant is common, a French speaker might use the word novice to describe someone at the very first stage of a spiritual or religious path.
Examples in context
- Pas mal pour un débutant.Not bad for a beginner.This sentence shows how to use débutant when giving a compliment.Tatoeba #3293463 by Blabla, translation #3293462 by Blabla
- Tu es encore un débutant.You're still a beginner.This sentence uses débutant to describe someone's current status.Tatoeba #11934403 by lbdx, translation #7837510 by CK
- Moi aussi je suis débutant.I'm a beginner, too.This sentence uses débutant to express one's own status.Tatoeba #1470231 by sacredceltic, translation #1468392 by CK
- Je suis débutant(e).I am a beginner.
- Je suis débutant(e) en français.I am a beginner in French.
- Nous sommes débutants en cuisine.We are beginners in cooking.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are talking about a guitar class.
- ManonTu joues de la guitare depuis longtemps ?Have you been playing guitar for a long time?
- LucasNon, je suis un total débutant.No, I am a total beginner.
- ManonC'est super, tu vas vite progresser !That's great, you will improve quickly!
- LucasJ'espère, car c'est difficile au début.I hope so, because it is difficult at first.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “beginner” translations and entries débutant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
