Le Caire
/lə kɛʁ/masculine
The French term for the English phrase 'Cairo' is Le Caire.
Le Caire refers to the capital of Egypt. Historically, the name Fustat is also associated with this location.
Meaning: capital of Egypt (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the preposition à (to/in) with Le Caire, it contracts to au Caire. Similarly, when using the preposition de (of/from) with Le Caire, it contracts to du Caire.
How do you pronounce it?
/lə kɛʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying à Le Caire when you mean 'to Cairo' or 'in Cairo'. Instead, use the contracted form au Caire.
Did you know?
- The name Le Caire is a French adaptation of the Arabic 'al-Qāhirah', which means 'The Victorious'.
- In French, omitting the Le from Le Caire is considered a grammatical error, unlike in English where 'The' is not used for 'Cairo'.
- The article le in Le Caire evolved from the Latin word illum, which was the accusative singular form of ille.
Examples in context
- Le Caire a changé.Cairo has changed.This sentence uses Le Caire to describe a change in the city.Tatoeba #6470396 by GB3, translation #6469245 by OsoHombre
- Sami rêvait d'habiter le Caire.Sami dreamed of living in Cairo.This sentence uses Le Caire to describe a dream of living in the city.Tatoeba #7280635 by tras, translation #7278560 by OsoHombre
- Le bateau était en chemin vers Le Caire.The boat was heading to Cairo.This sentence uses Le Caire to describe a destination.Tatoeba #7289634 by Rockaround, translation #7351956 by Eccles17
- Vous avez visité Le Caire récemment ?Have you recently visited Cairo?
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are discussing their next vacation destination.
- ManonOn part au Caire cet été ?Are we going to Cairo this summer?
- GabrielOui, j'ai hâte de voir Le Caire.Yes, I can't wait to see Cairo.
- ManonC'est une ville magnifique, non ?It's a magnificent city, isn't it?
- GabrielAbsolument, Le Caire est fascinant.Absolutely, Cairo is fascinating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cairo” translations and entries Le Caire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Le, le, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
