compagnie
/kɔ̃.pa.ɲi/
In French, compagnie means company.
compagnie refers to a business organization, such as a corporation, that sells goods or services. It is frequently used in the specific fixed expression compagnie aérienne to refer to an airline.
Which one should you use?
While compagnie is a standard term, you may encounter other words depending on the context. Entreprise is a formal translation for company, and société is a formal term used specifically in legal contexts or official documents. In contrast, boîte is an informal way to say company.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of compagnie is compagnies.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /kɔ̃.pa.ɲi/.
Did you know?
- The word compagnie originates from the Latin words cum meaning 'with' and pānis meaning 'bread'. It literally describes a group of people who share a meal.
- The word copain, which means 'buddy' or 'boyfriend' today, shares the same root as compagnie and refers back to the idea of sharing bread.
- The word compagnon shares the same root as compagnie and historically referred to a journeyman who traveled with a guild of craftsmen.
Examples in context
- Je travaille dans une boîte de communication.I work for a communications company.
- La société dans laquelle je travaille a remporté un contrat important.The company I work for won a significant contract.
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are discussing their careers.
- ManonTu travailles pour quelle compagnie, Lucas ?Which company do you work for, Lucas?
- LucasJe travaille pour une compagnie d'informatique.I work for an IT company.
- ManonEst-ce que c'est une bonne compagnie ?Is it a good company?
- LucasOui, j'aime beaucoup ma compagnie.Yes, I like my company very much.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry compagnie, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries compagnie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
