majordome
/ma.ʒɔʁ.dɔm/
The French word for butler is majordome.
The term refers to a chief male servant of a household.
Meaning: chief male servant (noun)
Which one should you use?
While majordome refers specifically to the chief of a household, it is more specific than the word valet, which refers to a personal male servant.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural, add an 's' to the end of the word to get majordomes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ma.ʒɔʁ.dɔm/
Did you know?
- In historical French courts, the majordome was not just a servant but a high-ranking official who managed the royal household's finances and administration.
- While majordome is the formal term, in modern French cinema and literature, the English word 'butler' is sometimes used to evoke the specific cliché of the British stiff upper lip.
- Unlike the British butler who traditionally manages the wine cellar, a French majordome historically focused more on the organization of the entire household staff.
Examples in context
- Il a un majordome et un cuisinier.He has a butler and a cook.This sentence is useful for showing the distinction between a butler and a cook.Tatoeba #2164788 by sacredceltic, translation #2164625 by Hybrid
- J'ai demandé au majordome de nous servir du café.I asked the butler to serve us some coffee.This sentence shows how to use the word when asking someone to perform a task.Tatoeba #10623863 by lbdx, translation #10615792 by sangelo
- Le majordome m'a apporté mon café dans la bibliothèque.The butler brought me my coffee into the library.This sentence illustrates the butler performing a service in a specific room.Tatoeba #12460934 by lbdx, translation #6620351 by Hybrid
- Le majordome s'est occupé de toutes les demandes des invités lors de la soirée.The butler attended to all the guests' requests during the evening.
- Madame a engagé un nouveau majordome pour superviser les services domestiques.Madame has hired a new butler to oversee the household services.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are discussing a movie they just watched.
- ChloéLe majordome est très élégant dans ce film.The butler is very elegant in this movie.
- GabrielOui, il joue très bien son rôle.Yes, he plays his role very well.
- ChloéC'est un personnage fascinant.He is a fascinating character.
- GabrielJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry majordome, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
