conseil
/kɔ̃.sɛj/masculine
The English phrase "council" is translated into French as conseil.
conseil refers to a committee that leads or governs. Note that this word can also mean "advice" in French.
Meaning: committee that leads or governs (noun)
Which one should you use?
You might use assemblée to convey the idea of a council or assembly in certain formal contexts. If you are referring to a smaller, more specific council or committee, the word comité is used in formal situations.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form conseils can refer to multiple governing bodies or multiple pieces of advice.
How do you pronounce it?
conseil is pronounced /kɔ̃.sɛj/. It has 2 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the French conseil (meaning council or advice) with concile, which refers specifically to an ecclesiastical council, such as a church council.
Did you know?
- In the French legal system, the Conseil d'État is the highest administrative court, acting as both a legal judge and an advisor to the government.
- In the French legal system, a conseil can refer to the lawyer or legal counsel representing a client.
- In French, a 'board of directors' is often called a conseil d'administration, even though 'administration' sounds like a different concept in English.
Examples in context
- Le conseil y a donné son accord.The council agreed on it.This sentence shows the use of conseil to express agreement.Tatoeba #4949193 by sacredceltic, translation #2268076 by _undertoad
- Flavio a donné un rapport au conseil.Flavio gave a report to the council.This sentence shows the use of conseil in the context of giving a report.Tatoeba #11838099 by Amastan, translation #11697246 by Amastan
- Le conseil régional est dominé par la gauche.The regional council is dominated by the left wing.This sentence shows the use of conseil in the term for a regional council.Tatoeba #8453724 by Aiji, translation #5064705 by AlanF_US
- Le conseil municipalThe municipal council
- Le conseil de sécuritéThe Security Council
- Le conseil d'administrationThe board of directors
- Le comité de gestionThe management committee
- Le comité d'éthiqueThe ethics committee
- Nous avons une réunion demain avec le conseil d'administration.We have a meeting tomorrow with the board of directors.
- Le conseil est très important.The council is very important.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are discussing a local administrative decision.
- ChloéLe conseil municipal va délibérer demain.The municipal council is going to deliberate tomorrow.
- LucasEst-ce que le conseil a déjà voté ?Has the council already voted?
- ChloéNon, le conseil attend encore les résultats.No, the council is still waiting for the results.
- LucasD'accord, j'attendrai la décision de ce conseil.Okay, I will wait for this council's decision.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “council” translations and entries conseil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
