campagne
/kɑ̃.paɲ/
The French word campagne can mean campaign.
In formal contexts, campagne can be used to mean campaign.
Which one should you use?
The word campagne refers to the countryside, whereas camp refers to a physical campsite or a military camp.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /kɑ̃.paɲ/.
Did you know?
- The word campagne is a doublet of Champagne, meaning they both share the same linguistic ancestor. While one evolved to describe the countryside, the other became the name of a specific region and its famous sparkling wine.
- The word campagne shares a root with the English word 'campus'. Both derive from the Latin word campus, which originally meant an open field.
- French has a specific term campagnard to describe a person from the campagne. Depending on the tone, this can be a neutral description of a villager or a slightly derogatory term implying a lack of sophistication.
Examples in context
- La campagne de marketing vise à promouvoir notre nouveau produit.The marketing campaign aims to promote our new product.
- Nous lançons une campagne de sensibilisation pour lutter contre le tabagisme.We are launching an awareness campaign to fight against smoking.
- J'adore regarder les campagnes publicitaires créatives à la télévision.I love watching creative advertising campaigns on television.
- J'aime beaucoup la campagne.I like the countryside very much.
- Nous allons passer le week-end à la campagne.We are going to spend the weekend in the countryside.
- Il y a de magnifiques paysages à la campagne.There are beautiful landscapes in the countryside.
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are discussing their vacation plans.
- LucasTu veux aller à la mer ou à la campagne ?Do you want to go to the seaside or the countryside?
- EmmaJe préfère la campagne pour me reposer.I prefer the countryside to relax.
- LucasC'est une excellente idée, Emma.That is an excellent idea, Emma.
- EmmaOn peut louer une petite maison là-bas.We can rent a small house there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry campagne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries campagne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
