cancer
/kɑ̃.sɛʁ/masculine
In French, the English phrase 'cancer' is translated as cancer.
The word cancer refers to the disease caused by uncontrolled cellular proliferation.
Meaning: disease of uncontrolled cellular proliferation (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cancer is the standard term for the disease, the related names for the astrological sign and the constellation are written as Cancer.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun cancer is masculine, so it is used with masculine articles such as un or le.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /kɑ̃.sɛʁ/.
Did you know?
- The French word cancre is a linguistic descendant of the same Latin root as cancer, but today it refers to a 'dunce' or a 'bad student'.
- The word cancer shares the same root as the French word for 'crab', which is crabe. This reflects the Latin origin where the disease was named for the crab-like appearance of tumors.
- A person undergoing treatment might mention 'la chimie' to refer to 'chemotherapy', a common euphemism in French medical discussions.
Examples in context
- Il a un cancer.He has cancer.This sentence is useful for stating that someone has the disease using the form cancer.Tatoeba #7851640 by theachaean, translation #3280666 by pne
- Tu as un cancer.You have cancer.Tatoeba #7204234 by Micsmithel, translation #2549420 by CK
- Tu as le cancer.You've got cancer.Tatoeba #7204238 by Micsmithel, translation #2255429 by CK
- Le carcinome de la prostate est l'un des cancers les plus fréquents chez les hommes.Prostate carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in men.
- La tumeur maligne s'est propagée aux ganglions lymphatiques.The malignant tumor has spread to the lymph nodes.
- La tumeur cancéreuse nécessite une intervention chirurgicale immédiate.The cancerous tumor requires immediate surgical intervention.
- 127 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are discussing a medical news report.
- LucasTu as entendu parler de ce nouveau cancer ?Did you hear about this new cancer?
- EmmaOui, c'est très triste pour les patients.Yes, it is very sad for the patients.
- LucasL'espoir vient de la recherche médicale.Hope comes from medical research.
- EmmaJe l'espère vraiment pour tout le monde.I really hope so for everyone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cancer” translations and entries cancer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cancer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
