confinement
/kɔ̃.fin.mɑ̃/masculine
The English phrase confinement translates to French as confinement.
confinement refers to the state of being confined. In recent years, the word confinement has become the standard term used in France to refer to the government-mandated lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meaning: state of being confined (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective form used to describe someone who is confined or under lockdown is confiné for a masculine subject and confinée for a feminine subject.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɔ̃.fin.mɑ̃/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- Historically confinement referred specifically to the period of seclusion a woman observed after childbirth. This medical and social tradition lasted for several weeks before the term became associated with general isolation.
- The French word confinement shares a common ancestor with the English 'fine', both stemming from the Latin 'finis' meaning 'boundary' or 'end'.
- The verb confiner is also used in French chemistry to describe when a substance is restricted to a specific space or vessel.
Examples in context
- Le confinement peut rendre fou.Confinement can drive you insane.This sentence shows how confinement can affect one's mental state.Tatoeba #12915394 by lbdx, translation #5129465 by honestlang
- Pendant le confinement, les Parisiens ont découvert le chant des oiseaux.During the confinement, the Parisians discovered the song of the birds.This sentence provides context for what Parisians experienced during confinement.Tatoeba #8853735 by marafon, translation #8855347 by carlosalberto
- Le confinement a été très difficile pour elle.The confinement was very difficult for her.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing how they spent the recent lockdown.
- ManonTu as bien supporté le confinement ?Did you handle the confinement well?
- LucasPas vraiment, c'était assez dur pour moi.Not really, it was quite hard for me.
- ManonJe comprends, Lucas, c'était une période étrange.I understand, Lucas, it was a strange period.
- LucasOui, j'avais hâte que tout s'arrête.Yes, I was looking forward to it all ending.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “confinement” translations and entries confinement, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries confinement, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
