chaos
/ka.o/masculine
The English phrase "chaos" is translated into French as chaos.
chaos is used to describe a state of disorder. In more formal contexts, you might use perturbation to refer to a disturbance or disruption, tumulte to describe an uproar caused by disorder, anarchie for a state of chaos resulting from a lack of control or confusion when things appear jumbled or disordered.
Meaning: state of disorder (noun)
Which one should you use?
While chaos is the standard term, other words offer different nuances. For example, pagaille is a colloquial way to describe disorder and confusion, whereas bordel is an informal term that literally means brothel but is used to describe a mess or chaos.
How does it change in a sentence?
chaos is a masculine noun, often used as le chaos to mean "the chaos".
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.o/
Did you know?
- The English word 'chaos' and the French word chaos share the same roots, tracing back to the Ancient Greek word kháos, which originally meant a vast, empty chasm or void.
- French speakers often use the phrase c'est le bordel to describe a chaotic situation, which is significantly more vulgar than the English 'it's a mess'.
- The French word perturbation is the preferred term for 'chaos' when referring to travel delays or technical glitches, such as 'perturbations' on the train network.
Examples in context
- Je n'apprécie pas le chaos.I'm not fond of chaos.This sentence shows how to express a dislike for chaos using chaos.Tatoeba #13398090 by Rovo, translation #7953132 by shekitten
- Le Mali a sombré dans le chaos.Mali went into chaos.This sentence describes a country falling into a state of chaos using chaos.Tatoeba #12493424 by always, translation #11066854 by Amastan
- Il n'y aura pas de chaos en Algérie.There won't be chaos in Algeria.This sentence expresses a prediction that chaos will not occur in a specific location using chaos.Tatoeba #12480428 by always, translation #8566073 by Amastan
- La salle était dans un désordre totalThe room was in complete chaos
- Les perturbations de la circulation ont engendré le chaos dans la villeTraffic disruptions led to chaos in the city
- La foule en tumulte créait un chaos totalThe crowd in uproar created total chaos
- L'absence de règles a plongé le pays dans l'anarchieThe absence of rules plunged the country into chaos
- C'est le bordel ici !It's a mess here!
- Le déménagement a créé une pagaille incroyable dans l'appartementThe move created incredible chaos in the apartment
- Ma chambre est toujours bordélique, je ne trouve rien!My room is always messy, I can't find anything!
- Le projet avait l'air bien au début, mais tout part en vrille maintenantThe project seemed fine at first, but now everything is spinning out of control
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are talking about their messy office.
- EmmaC'est le chaos dans ce bureau !It is chaos in this office!
- HugoJe sais, Hugo a tout mélangé.I know, Hugo mixed everything up.
- EmmaOn doit arrêter ce chaos maintenant.We have to stop this chaos now.
- HugoD'accord, je vais t'aider à ranger.Okay, I will help you tidy up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chaos” translations and entries chaos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chaos, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
