charmant
/ʃaʁ.mɑ̃/
The English word 'charming' can be translated into French as charmant.
charmant is used to describe something or someone that is pleasant or charismatic.
Meaning: pleasant, charismatic (adj)
Which one should you use?
While charmant describes charisma or pleasantness, it is different from séduisant, which carries a stronger sense of seduction or physical attraction.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use charmant for masculine singular, charmante for feminine singular, charmants for masculine plural and charmantes for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
charmant is pronounced /ʃaʁ.mɑ̃/ and has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- While charmant describes a pleasant person today, it shares a root with charme, which historically referred to a magical spell or incantation. In this sense, a 'charming' person was originally someone who could cast a spell over others.
- In French, calling a person charmant can sometimes be used ironically to describe someone who is actually quite annoying or pretentious. It functions much like the English 'how charming' when said with a roll of the eyes.
- When describing a beautiful or 'charming' landscape, French speakers might prefer the adjective pittoresque over charmant to emphasize that the scene looks like a painting.
Examples in context
- Il est très charmant.He's very charming.This sentence shows how to use charmant to describe a person.Tatoeba #4052503 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #4051695 by Hybrid
- Quel homme charmant !What a charming man!This sentence shows how to use charmant as an exclamation for a man.Tatoeba #13387577 by lbdx, translation #12096753 by CK
- Quel charmant endroit !What a charming place!This sentence shows how to use charmant to describe a place.Tatoeba #6381977 by Blabla, translation #6480253 by Micsmithel
- La femme que vous rencontrez ce soir est absolument charmante.The woman you are meeting tonight is absolutely charming.
- Vous avez une maison ravissante.You have a charming house.
- Cette boutique a un style vraiment attirant.This shop has a really charming style.
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are discussing a man they met at a party.
- ChloéTu as trouvé Marc charmant ?Did you find Marc charming?
- LucasOui, il est très charmant.Yes, he is very charming.
- ChloéC'est vrai, il a beaucoup d'esprit.It's true, he is very witty.
- LucasAbsolument, j'ai adoré notre discussion.Absolutely, I loved our discussion.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “charming” translations and entries charmant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
