chemin
/ʃə.mɛ̃/
The French word chemin means a route or track that people follow to get from one place to another.
chemin refers to a physical path or track. It is also used idiomatically in the phrase faire son chemin, which means to make one's way or to make progress in one's life or career.
Which one should you use?
While chemin refers to a physical path or track, it is distinct from route, which typically implies a more formal, paved or major road.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of chemin is chemins, which is formed by adding an s at the end.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ʃə.mɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- A cheminée is a fireplace or chimney, a word derived from chemin because it was originally the 'path' for smoke to leave the house.
- The word chemin comes from the Gaulish word *kamman, meaning it predates the Roman conquest of France.
- In certain French expressions, such as chemin de fer, the word chemin is used to describe a railway, even though trains do not follow traditional footpaths.
Examples in context
- Prenez le chemin.Take the path.
- Trouvez le chemin le plus court.Find the shortest route.
- Suivez le chemin indiqué.Follow the indicated path.
- Suis le petit chemin.Follow the little path.
- Je suis perdu. Peux-tu m'indiquer le chemin pour aller à la bibliothèque?I'm lost. Can you show me the way to the library?
- Bien sûr! Il suffit de suivre ce chemin tout droit, et la bibliothèque se trouvera sur votre gauche.Of course! Just follow this path straight ahead, and the library will be on your left.
- Le chemin est très étroit.The path is very narrow.
- Prenez le petit chemin à droite.Take the small path on the right.
- Nous suivons le chemin de terre.We are following the dirt track.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are walking in a forest.
- GabrielEst-ce que c'est le bon chemin ?Is this the right way?
- ManonOui, je pense que nous sommes sur le chemin.Yes, I think we are on the path.
- GabrielLe chemin devient très étroit ici.The route is becoming very narrow here.
- ManonContinue d'avancer, on arrive bientôt.Keep moving forward, we will arrive soon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry chemin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chemin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
