champion
/ʃɑ̃.pjɔ̃/masculine
The French word for champion is champion. If unsure, use champion. Wiktionary also lists championne.
Meaning: someone who has been winner in a contest (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| champion | /ʃɑ̃.pjɔ̃/ | masculine |
| championne | /ʃɑ̃.pjɔn/ | feminine |
The term champion refers to someone who has won a contest. You may also use As to describe a champion who is particularly skilled, or Champ to refer to a champion informally. The verb championner means to advocate for something.
Which one should you use?
While champion is the standard term, Vainqueur is used to mean winner and is specifically suited for formal situations. In casual settings, you might use the informal term Champ.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ʃɑ̃.pjɔ̃/
Did you know?
- In many French-speaking contexts, if you call someone a champion with a sarcastic tone, you are actually teasing them for being clumsy or foolish.
- The term champion historically referred to a warrior who fought a duel on behalf of another person to settle a dispute.
- The French word champion actually shares a common ancestor with the English word 'field', via the Latin word 'campus' which means a level ground or plain.
Examples in context
- J'ai affronté le champion.I faced the champion.This sentence shows how to use champion to describe facing an opponent.Tatoeba #590261 by qdii, translation #1365739 by marcelostockle
- C'est un champion de tennis.He is a tennis champion.This sentence uses champion to identify a tennis champion.Tatoeba #131209 by Julien_PDC, translation #291868 by CK
- C'est le champion qui gagne.It's the champion who wins.This sentence illustrates the use of champion in the context of winning.Tatoeba #12232048 by Rovo, translation #12232207 by Miktsoanit
- Il est le champion de tennis de notre équipeHe is the champion of our tennis team
- Eh bien joué, champ! Tu as remporté la partieWell played, champ! You won the game
- Cet artiste est un as de la peinture abstraiteThis artist is an ace of abstract painting
- Félicitations à notre équipe victorieuse. Vous êtes des champions!Congratulations to our victorious team. You are champions!
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking about a recent chess tournament.
- ManonGabriel, est-ce que tu as vu le nouveau champion ?Gabriel, did you see the new champion?
- GabrielOui, c'est un véritable champion de la stratégie.Yes, he is a true champion of strategy.
- ManonIl est très impressionnant sur l'échiquier.He is very impressive on the chessboard.
- GabrielC'est vrai, il mérite son titre de champion.It's true, he deserves his title as champion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “champion” translations and entries champion, championne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries champion, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
