bronze
/bʁɔ̃z/masculine
The English word bronze is translated into French as bronze. Wiktionary also lists airain.
Meaning: alloy (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bronze | /bʁɔ̃z/ | masculine |
| airain | /ɛ.ʁɛ̃/ /e.ʁɛ̃/ |
masculine |
bronze refers to the metal alloy.
Which one should you use?
While bronze refers to the metal, the related adjective bronzé is used to describe a person with a suntan.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
airain is a highly literary or archaic synonym for bronze used in poetry or historical contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a masculine noun, bronze is preceded by the masculine definite article le when referring to the material.
How do you pronounce it?
/bʁɔ̃z/
Did you know?
- The word airain is a distant relative of the Spanish word alambre, which means 'wire'.
- The literary word airain is used in the French idiom un cœur d'airain, which describes someone with a heart as hard as bronze.
- While bronze refers to the metal, the word bronzer is a common verb used to describe the process of getting a tan in the sun.
Examples in context
- Notre âge du bronze s'effondre.Our age of bronze is collapsing.Tatoeba #14006849 by Rovo, translation #14006223 by rul
- Il a gagné une médaille de bronze.He won a bronze medal.Tatoeba #1756850 by Rovo, translation #1756830 by Spamster
- Le bronze est composé de cuivre et d'étain.Bronze is composed of copper and tin.Tatoeba #1278379 by sacredceltic, translation #272012 by orcrist
- Le bronze est un alliage de cuivre et d'étainBronze is an alloy of copper and tin
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are at an art gallery looking at sculptures.
- EmmaCette statue est en bronze, n'est-ce pas ?This statue is made of bronze, isn't it?
- HugoOui, le bronze a une très belle patine.Yes, the bronze has a very beautiful patina.
- EmmaHugo, tu trouves que c'est une belle œuvre ?Hugo, do you think it is a beautiful work?
- HugoAbsolument, elle est vraiment impressionnante.Absolutely, it is truly impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bronze” translations and entries bronze, airain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries airain, bronze, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
