Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mort | /mɔʁ/ | feminine |
| décès | /de.sɛ/ | masculine |
The term refers to the cessation of life. The word mort is the general, everyday word for death, but it can also function as an adjective. The related verb is mourir, meaning 'to die'. When referring to the personification of death, the names Mort or Camarde are used.
Which one should you use?
While mort is the general word for death, décès is a more formal and clinical term often used in official documents, news reports or medical contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Use décès instead of mort when you want to be more polite or professional, such as when discussing someone's passing in a formal setting.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun mort is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine article la. The noun décès is masculine, so it is preceded by the masculine article le.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɔʁ/
Did you know?
- In French, you can be mort de rire, which literally means 'dead from laughter'. This is the origin of the common internet acronym MDR, the French equivalent of 'LOL'.
- The French expression faire le mort means 'to play dead', but it is often used figuratively to describe someone who is ignoring their messages or avoiding a conversation.
- The personification of death in French is sometimes called la Camarde, a term derived from the word for a leaning staff or a skeletal figure.
Examples in context
- Mort au roi !Death to the king!This example shows how to use mort in a forceful exclamation.Tatoeba #3705828 by GB3, translation #3704852 by shekitten
- Pense à la mort.Think about death.This sentence uses mort to indicate a subject of thought.Tatoeba #10064484 by Micsmithel, translation #814529 by BraveSentry
- Il craint la mort.He is afraid of death.This sentence demonstrates the use of mort when expressing fear.Tatoeba #1316321 by sacredceltic, translation #297216 by CK
- La mort est inévitable.Death is inevitable.
- Je suis désolé pour votre perte.I'm sorry for your loss.
- Le taux de décès a augmenté cette année.The death rate has increased this year.
- Mon pauvre poisson est arrivé à la fin, il a crevé.My poor fish reached the end, it died.
- Il a tellement bu qu'il est presque en train de claquer.He drank so much that he's almost dropping dead.
- Le trépas n'est qu'une étape de notre existence.Death is just a stage in our existence.
- Ils pleuraient le trépas de leur bien-aimé.They mourned the passing of their beloved.
- Malheureusement, il a passé l'arme à gauche après son accident.Unfortunately, he passed away after his accident.
- 542 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a character in a novel.
- EmmaLa mort de ce personnage est tragique.The death of this character is tragic.
- NathanOui, c'est très triste pour l'histoire.Yes, it is very sad for the story.
- EmmaNathan, tu as fini le chapitre ?Nathan, did you finish the chapter?
- NathanPas encore, Emma, je suis trop ému.Not yet, Emma, I am too emotional.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “death” translations and entries mort, décès, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
