tension artérielle
/tɑ̃.sjɔ̃ aʁ.te.ʁjɛl/feminine
The English phrase "blood pressure" is translated into French as tension artérielle. Wiktionary also lists pression artérielle.
Meaning: pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries and veins (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tension artérielle | /tɑ̃.sjɔ̃ aʁ.te.ʁjɛl/ | feminine |
| pression artérielle | /pʁɛ.sjɔ̃ aʁ.te.ʁjɛl/ /pʁe.sjɔ̃ aʁ.te.ʁjɛl/ |
feminine |
Both terms refer to the pressure exerted by the blood against the walls of the arteries and veins.
Which one should you use?
While both terms are correct, tension artérielle is the more common way to refer to blood pressure in a medical or everyday context in France. In contrast, pression artérielle is often used in more strictly technical or physiological contexts to describe the physical pressure itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both tension artérielle and pression artérielle are feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɑ̃.sjɔ̃ aʁ.te.ʁjɛl/
Did you know?
- The word tension comes from the Latin tensiō, which refers to the act of stretching. This highlights the physiological idea of the artery walls being stretched by the blood flow.
- In French, pression is used for physical force, such as pression atmosphérique for air pressure. Using tension for blood pressure is a linguistic quirk that separates biological pressure from mechanical pressure.
- The word tension in French can refer to both the physical pressure of blood and a state of psychological stress or nervous agitation.
Examples in context
- Votre tension artérielle est normale.Your blood pressure is normal.This sentence shows how to state that someone's blood pressure is normal using tension artérielle.Tatoeba #10966561 by lbdx, translation #10879162 by carlosalberto
- Ma pression artérielle est assez élevée.My blood pressure is quite high.This sentence shows how to say one's blood pressure is quite high using pression artérielle.Tatoeba #5302727 by Aiji, translation #4664826 by CK
- Je peux vérifier ta tension artérielle ?Can I check your blood pressure?This sentence shows how to ask to check someone's blood pressure using tension artérielle.Tatoeba #9889383 by Micsmithel, translation #9849482 by NurseMeeks
- Mon médecin contrôle toujours ma pression artérielle lors des consultations.My doctor always checks my blood pressure during consultations.
- Je pense que ma tension est un peu élevée ces derniers temps.I think my blood pressure is a bit high lately.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a doctor's office during a checkup.
- ChloéComment va votre tension artérielle aujourd'hui, Lucas ?How is your blood pressure today, Lucas?
- LucasElle semble un peu élevée ce matin.It seems a bit high this morning.
- ChloéNe vous inquiétez pas, je vais la mesurer.Don't worry, I am going to measure it.
- LucasMerci, Chloé, c'est gentil.Thank you, Chloé, that is kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “blood pressure” translations and entries tension artérielle, pression artérielle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pression, tension, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
