Canadien
/ka.na.djɛ̃/masculine
In French, "canadian" as a noun is Canadien.
The term is used to refer to a person from Canada. Related terms include anglais canadien for Canadian English. It is also important to note that terms like Crie/Cris are used for the Cree indigenous people, and Métis refers to individuals of mixed European and indigenous Canadian heritage.
Meaning: person from Canada (noun)
Which one should you use?
In French, a distinction is made between the noun and the adjective through capitalization. When using the word as a noun to refer to a person, it should be capitalized, such as Canadien. When using it as an adjective, it remains lowercase, such as canadien.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on gender and number. The masculine singular is Canadien, the feminine singular is Canadienne, the masculine plural is canadiens and the feminine plural is canadiennes.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.na.djɛ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget that in French, the nationality must be capitalized when used as a noun (un Canadien) but should be lowercase when used as an adjective (il est canadien).
Did you know?
- French speakers often use the word québécois instead of canadien when referring to people from Quebec to emphasize a distinct cultural identity.
- In North America, the term Canadien historically referred to people of French descent living in the colonies, rather than anyone from the territory of Canada.
- Because of the professional hockey team 'Le Club Canadien de Montréal', the word Canadien often serves as a shorthand for the team itself in sports contexts.
Examples in context
- Tom est-il canadien ?Is Tom Canadian?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is Canadian using Canadien.Tatoeba #5268487 by martin9, translation #2244584 by CK
- Mon ami est canadien.My friend is Canadian.This sentence is useful for stating that a friend is Canadian using canadien.Tatoeba #9159596 by Julien_PDC, translation #7733657 by CK
- Mon époux est Canadien.My husband is Canadian.This sentence is useful for stating that a husband is Canadian using Canadien.Tatoeba #9557107 by Micsmithel, translation #7733610 by CK
- Le gouvernement canadien a récemment mis en place de nouvelles réglementations.The Canadian government has recently implemented new regulations.
- Les athlètes canadiens ont remporté plusieurs médailles lors des Jeux olympiques.The Canadian athletes won several medals at the Olympics.
- 170 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are talking about a new colleague.
- ChloéEst-ce que le nouveau collègue est Canadien ?Is the new colleague Canadian?
- HugoOui, il est Canadien et il vient de Montréal.Yes, he is Canadian and he comes from Montreal.
- ChloéC'est super, Hugo !That's great, Hugo!
- HugoIl est très sympathique.He is very friendly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “canadian” translations and entries Canadien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Canadien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
