Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| annuler | /a.ny.le/ |
| résilier | /ʁe.zi.lje/ |
| se désabonner | |
| mettre fin | /mɛ.tʁə fɛ̃/ |
| décommander | /de.kɔ.mɑ̃.de/ |
The term annuler is the most general way to express the idea of canceling, and it is used for canceling events, meetings, orders or plans. The noun form is annulation, meaning cancellation.
Which one should you use?
While annuler is general, other terms are more specific. Use résilier specifically when canceling a formal agreement, such as a lease, insurance policy or service contract. Use décommander when canceling a scheduled appointment, a restaurant reservation or a hotel booking. For digital contexts, use se désabonner when canceling a subscription to a newsletter, a magazine or a digital service. If you are backing out of a commitment or an event, you can use se désister. If someone backs out or cancels at the last minute, the phrase faire faux bond is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The word annuler has 3 syllables and is pronounced /a.ny.le/.
Did you know?
- The verb résilier shares an ancestral root with the English word 'resilient', meaning to spring back.
- While annuler is general, using décommander is essential for restaurant or hotel bookings to avoid appearing rude.
Examples in context
- Je veux tout annuler.I want to cancel everything.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to cancel everything using annuler.Tatoeba #12063949 by Rovo, translation #12191324 by Rawrren
- Il n'y a rien à annuler.There is nothing to cancel.This sentence is useful for stating that nothing needs to be canceled using annuler.Tatoeba #483214 by sacredceltic, translation #483215 by sacredceltic
- Je devrais tout annuler.I should cancel everything.This sentence is useful for expressing an obligation to cancel everything using annuler.Tatoeba #8952592 by Julien_PDC, translation #11201669 by Lebensfreude
- Je dois annuler notre rendez-vousI have to cancel our appointment.
- J'ai décidé de résilier mon abonnementI have decided to cancel my subscription.
- Je me désiste de la réunion de demainI am canceling my participation in tomorrow's meeting.
- J'ai dû annuler notre sortie ce soirI had to cancel our plans for tonight.
- Il m'a fait faux bond pour le dînerHe canceled on me for dinner.
- Je suis désolé(e) de devoir annuler notre réunion.I'm sorry I have to cancel our meeting.
- Malheureusement, je dois annuler ma réservation pour des raisons personnelles.Unfortunately, I have to cancel my reservation for personal reasons.
- Je dois annuler notre dîner ce soir, mais pouvons-nous le reprogrammer pour la semaine prochaine ?I have to cancel our dinner tonight, but can we reschedule it for next week?
- Je voulais vous prévenir dès maintenant que je vais devoir annuler notre rencontre de demain.I wanted to let you know in advance that I will have to cancel our meeting tomorrow.
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about their travel plans.
- LéaOn doit annuler notre réservation d'hôtel.We have to cancel our hotel reservation.
- HugoPourquoi veux-tu annuler le voyage ?Why do you want to cancel the trip?
- LéaJe suis malade, Hugo.I am sick, Hugo.
- HugoD'accord, je m'occupe de tout.Alright, I'll take care of everything.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cancel” translations and entries annuler, résilier, mettre fin, décommander, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries annuler, désabonner, fin, mettre, mettre fin, résilier, se, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
