harcèlement
/aʁ.sɛl.mɑ̃/masculine
Bullying in French is harcèlement.
harcèlement refers to persistent acts intended to make life unpleasant. When specifically referring to bullying that occurs within a school environment, the term harcèlement scolaire is used.
Meaning: persistent acts intended to make life unpleasant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun harcèlement is derived from the verb harceler, which means to bully or to harass.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of 3 syllables and is pronounced /aʁ.sɛl.mɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- The verb harceler comes from an old word for a hound used in hunting to dog its prey. The term captures the idea of a predator relentlessly pursuing a target.
- In many French-speaking regions, especially in schools, the term bizutage refers to a specific type of ritualized, often aggressive, way of 'welcoming' new students that can cross into bullying.
- To describe the act of 'picking on' someone in a more casual, non-legal way, French speakers often use the phrase chercher des noises, which literally means 'looking for noises'.
Examples in context
- L'harcèlement de Mennad a brisé Baya.Mennad's bullying broke Baya.This sentence is useful for showing how bullying can impact a person.Tatoeba #13355590 by genes1s, translation #8015526 by OsoHombre
- Elle a été sévèrement traumatisée par le harcèlement à l'école.She's been severely traumatized by bullying at school.This sentence is useful for describing the trauma caused by bullying at school.Tatoeba #1390074 by sacredceltic, translation #1363507 by darinmex
- Le harcèlement peut laisser des cicatrices émotionnelles durables chez les victimes.Bullying can leave lasting emotional scars on victims.
- Le bizutage est une forme inacceptable de harcèlement dans les établissements d'enseignement.Hazing is an unacceptable form of bullying in educational institutions.
- Il faut mettre fin à l'intimidation au sein des écoles.We must put an end to bullying within schools.
- Le harcèlement sur Internet est un problème grave.Cyberbullying is a serious problem.
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are discussing a news report at home.
- EmmaAs-tu vu ce reportage sur le harcèlement ?Did you see that report on bullying?
- GabrielOui, c'est vraiment tragique, Emma.Yes, it is truly tragic, Emma.
- EmmaOn doit mieux protéger les jeunes.We must better protect young people.
- GabrielJe suis tout à fait d'accord avec toi.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bullying” translations and entries harcèlement, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries harcèlement, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
