composé
/kɔ̃.po.ze/
The French word for 'comprised' is composé.
composé is used to describe something that is made up of several different parts or members.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective composé is almost always followed by the preposition de to indicate the components that make up the subject. The form must also agree in gender with the subject. For example, use composée if the subject is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /kɔ̃.po.ze/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using composé par to describe what something is made of. English speakers often mistakenly use par instead of de, but you should always use de to indicate the components of a substance or group.
Did you know?
- While composé describes what something is made of, the related verb composer is used in French to mean 'to dial' a telephone number.
- In French culinary terms, a composé can refer to a specific type of dish that is 'composed' of various distinct ingredients arranged artistically. This is common in professional plating rather than just describing a stew.
- In French grammar, the 'passé composé' is literally a 'composed past'. This refers to the way the tense is constructed from two parts: an auxiliary verb and a past participle.
Examples in context
- L'eau est composée d'hydrogène et d'oxygène.Water is comprised of hydrogen and oxygen.This sentence shows how to use composé to describe the chemical makeup of water.Tatoeba #498443 by adjusting, translation #270814 by espamatics
- L'équipe est composée de dix membres.The team is comprised of ten members.
- Le livre consiste en dix chapitres.The book is comprised of ten chapters.
- La salade est faite de tomates et de laitue.The salad is comprised of tomatoes and lettuce.
- L'entreprise est composée de plusieurs divisions.The company is comprised of several divisions.
- Le puzzle consiste en 1000 pièces.The puzzle is comprised of 1000 pieces.
- Le menu est composé de trois plats.The menu is comprised of three courses.
- Ce groupe est composé de musiciens talentueux.This group is comprised of talented musicians.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are discussing a new music ensemble.
- GabrielEst-ce que le groupe est composé de pros ?Is the group comprised of professionals?
- ManonNon, il est composé d'étudiants.No, it is comprised of students.
- GabrielC'est un ensemble très varié.It is a very varied ensemble.
- ManonOui, Gabriel, ils sont très divers.Yes, Gabriel, they are very diverse.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry composé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
