université
/y.ni.vɛʁ.si.te/feminine
In French, the English phrase 'college' is translated as université.
The word université refers to an academic institution.
Meaning: academic institution (noun)
Which one should you use?
While English uses 'college' and 'university' somewhat interchangeably, in French, université is the standard term for higher education institutions.
How does it change in a sentence?
université is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/y.ni.vɛʁ.si.te/ (5 syllables)
What mistakes should you avoid?
The French word collège does not mean 'college' but refers to middle school.
Did you know?
- While université is the general term, many elite French institutions are called 'Grandes Écoles', which are separate from the public university system.
- French students often use the slang term fac as a shorthand for université, which is derived from the word faculté.
- The word université comes from the Latin universitātem, which originally referred to a community or guild of scholars rather than a physical building.
Examples in context
- Tom est à l'université.Tom is in college.This sentence is useful for saying someone is currently in college.Tatoeba #8730427 by Julien_PDC, translation #2273218 by CK
- Yanni a fait l'Université.Yanni went to college.This sentence is useful for stating that someone attended university.Tatoeba #11963829 by Amastan, translation #9956236 by Amastan
- Je veux aller à l'université.I want to go to college.This sentence is useful for expressing the desire to go to college.Tatoeba #127465 by Julien_PDC, translation #259326 by CK
- Elle obtiendra son diplôme de l'université à la fin de l'année.She will graduate from college at the end of the year.
- J'ai obtenu mon diplôme d'une école supérieure de commerce.I graduated from a college of business.
- 82 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are talking about their studies over coffee.
- EmmaTu étudies dans quelle université ?Which university do you study at?
- LucasJe suis à l'université de Lyon.I am at the University of Lyon.
- EmmaC'est une grande université, non ?It's a large university, isn't it?
- LucasOui, l'université est très moderne.Yes, the university is very modern.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “college” translations and entries université, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries université, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
