citoyen
/si.twa.jɛ̃/masculine
The English phrase "citizen" is translated into French as citoyen.
The term refers to a legal member of a state.
Meaning: legal member of a state (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form is citoyenne, while the masculine plural form is citoyens. If you are referring to a group of female citizens, use the feminine plural form citoyennes.
How do you pronounce it?
/si.twa.jɛ̃/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- During the French Revolution, citoyen and citoyenne were used as mandatory titles to replace 'Monsieur' and 'Madame' to erase class distinctions.
- The word citoyen comes from cité, meaning city, reflecting the ancient Greek and Roman idea that citizenship was tied to the urban center of power.
- In French, the term citoyen often carries a stronger connotation of active political duty and participation than the English 'citizen'.
Examples in context
- Je suis citoyen romain.I am a Roman citizen.This sentence shows how to use citoyen to state your own nationality.Tatoeba #1188514 by sacredceltic, translation #432966 by jerom
- C'est un citoyen chinois.He's a citizen of China.This sentence is useful for identifying a male person as a citoyen of a specific country.Tatoeba #13420647 by Rovo, translation #680510 by Source_VOA
- Mario est citoyen italien.Mario is an Italian citizen.This sentence demonstrates the use of citoyen when describing an individual's citizenship.Tatoeba #1353268 by Julien_PDC, translation #875774 by CN
- Tous les citoyens et citoyennes doivent respecter la loi.All citizens must respect the law.
- 62 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel is discussing his nationality with Chloé.
- ChloéEs-tu citoyen français, Gabriel ?Are you a French citizen, Gabriel?
- GabrielOui, je suis citoyen français.Yes, I am a French citizen.
- ChloéC'est super pour tes voyages !That's great for your travels!
- GabrielC'est vrai, c'est très pratique.True, it is very practical.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “citizen” translations and entries citoyen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
