Cendrillon
/sɑ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/feminine
The English name Cinderella is translated into French as Cendrillon.
Cendrillon refers to the main character of the famous fairy tale.
Meaning: main character in this fairy tale (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The name is derived from cendre (ash) and the diminutive suffix -illon, literally meaning "little ash-girl".
How does it change in a sentence?
As a proper noun, Cendrillon does not take an article when referring to the character in a general sense, though the word is feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/sɑ̃.dʁi.jɔ̃/
Did you know?
- The iconic 'glass slipper' was a creation of the French author Charles Perrault in 1697, as earlier versions of the tale used different materials.
- The French storyteller Charles Perrault adapted Cendrillon specifically to teach aristocratic etiquette and moral lessons to the court of Louis XIV.
- In French literature, calling someone a cendrillon can be a metaphor for someone who has risen from a 'dusty' or lowly social status to wealth.
Examples in context
- Ma grand-mère m'a raconté l'histoire de Cendrillon.My grandmother told me the story of Cinderella.This sentence is useful for showing how to mention the story of Cendrillon.Tatoeba #12658042 by lbdx, translation #273909 by CK
- Les chaussures, ça transforme ta vie. Demande à Cendrillon !Shoes change one's life. Just ask Cinderella!Tatoeba #1922624 by Rovo, translation #2132095 by AlanF_US
- Les chaussures, ça vous change la vie. Demandez à Cendrillon.Shoes can change your life. Just ask Cinderella.Tatoeba #3930697 by nimfeo, translation #8081982 by rachaelannebrown
- Tu as vu le nouveau film de Cendrillon ?Have you seen the new Cinderella movie?
- Il est intéressant de noter que la Cendrillon de Perrault est différente de celle des frères Grimm.It is interesting to note that Perrault's Cinderella is different from the Grimm brothers' version.
- As-tu déjà lu le livre original de Cendrillon ?Have you ever read the original Cinderella book?
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about a ballet performance.
- LéaTu as vu le spectacle de Cendrillon ?Did you see the Cinderella show?
- HugoNon, je n'aime pas trop Cendrillon.No, I don't really like Cinderella.
- LéaC'est pourtant une histoire très célèbre.It is a very famous story, though.
- HugoOui, mais je préfère d'autres contes.Yes, but I prefer other fairy tales.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cinderella” translations and entries Cendrillon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
