Colombien
/kɔ.lɔ̃.bjɛ̃/
The English word "colombian" is translated into French as Colombien.
The term refers to a person from Colombia. It can function as a noun to identify a person or as an adjective to describe something pertaining to Colombia.
Meaning: A person from Colombia (noun)
Which one should you use?
In French, there is a distinction in capitalization between the noun and the adjective. When used as an adjective, such as in le gouvernement colombien, the word is lowercase. However, when used as a noun referring to a person, such as un Colombien, it is capitalized.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number. The feminine form of the noun or adjective is colombienne. The masculine plural form is Colombiens.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɔ.lɔ̃.bjɛ̃/. The word has 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid confusing the country name with the people. The country is Colombie, while the people or the adjective are Colombien or colombien.
Did you know?
- While Colombien refers to the nationality, the French word for the common pigeon is pigeon colombin, deriving from the same root meaning 'dove-like'.
- The suffix -ien in Colombien is one of the most common ways French creates gentilic adjectives, similar to how English uses 'ian' in 'Italian'.
- The spelling of the country name, Colombie, differs from the English 'Colombia' by a single letter, which changes the pronunciation of the final syllable.
Examples in context
- Diego vient de Colombie. Il est Colombien.Diego is from Colombia. He is Colombian.This sentence shows how to use Colombien to identify someone's nationality.Tatoeba #1185660 by Sibelius, translation #1110351 by frpzzd
- Le gouvernement colombien a exigé plus d'argent.The Colombian government demanded more money.This sentence shows the use of colombien as an adjective.Tatoeba #804404 by U2FS, translation #804358 by Source_VOA
- Alexandra vient de Colombie. Elle est Colombienne.Alejandra is from Colombia. She is Colombian.This sentence demonstrates the use of the feminine form Colombienne.Tatoeba #1185708 by Sibelius, translation #1110355 by frpzzd
- Il est ColombienHe is Colombian
- Je travaille avec un Colombien très talentueux.I work with a very talented Colombian.
- La Colombienne que j'ai rencontrée était très sympathique.The Colombian woman I met was very friendly.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are talking about a new colleague at work.
- LucasQui est le nouveau collègue ?Who is the new colleague?
- LéaC'est un Colombien très sympathique.He is a very friendly Colombian.
- LucasIl vient de quelle ville ?Which city is he from?
- LéaIl est Colombien, mais il habite à Bogota.He is Colombian, but he lives in Bogota.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “colombian” translations and entries Colombien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
