caucasien
/kɔ.ka.zjɛ̃/
The English word 'caucasian' is translated into French as caucasien.
The term is an adjective used to describe a person as having a white complexion and European ancestry.
Meaning: of a person: having a white complexion and European ancestry (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine singular form is caucasien, the feminine singular is caucasienne, the masculine plural is caucasiens and the feminine plural is caucasiennes.
How do you pronounce it?
caucasien is pronounced /kɔ.ka.zjɛ̃/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you use caucasien to refer to someone from the United States, a French person might assume you are talking about someone specifically from the Caucasus mountains, such as a Georgian or an Armenian.
- In many French-speaking contexts, referring to a person as caucasien can actually be seen as an 'anglicisme', a term for a word that has been imported from English and does not quite fit natural French usage.
- In French, the adjective caucasien is almost exclusively used in scientific or anthropological contexts rather than in daily conversation. In everyday life, people would typically use terms like 'blanc' to describe someone's appearance.
Examples in context
- Dans cette étude, nous avons analysé le comportement social des personnes caucasiennes.In this study, we analyzed the social behavior of Caucasian individuals.
- J'ai rencontré une Caucasienne très sympathique aujourd'hui.I met a very friendly Caucasian woman today.
- Il y avait beaucoup de gens blancs à la fête hier soir.There were a lot of white people at the party last night.
- Il est d'origine caucasienne.He is of Caucasian origin.
- Le suspect est un homme caucasien.The suspect is a Caucasian man.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are describing a witness to a police officer.
- LéaLe témoin était un homme caucasien.The witness was a Caucasian man.
- NathanAvait-il les cheveux blonds ?Did he have blond hair?
- LéaOui, il était caucasien avec les yeux bleus.Yes, he was Caucasian with blue eyes.
- NathanD'accord, je note ces détails.Okay, I am noting these details.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry caucasien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
