démon
/de.mɔ̃/masculine
The English phrase 'demon' is translated into French as démon.
démon refers to an evil being. In a metaphorical sense, the plural form ses démons can be used to refer to a person's inner struggles or psychological traumas, much like in English.
Meaning: evil being (noun)
Which one should you use?
While démon refers to a supernatural evil being, the word diable is more commonly used when referring to 'the Devil'.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /de.mɔ̃/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some old French expressions, calling a child a petit démon is a common way to describe a mischievous or hyperactive child, similar to calling them a 'little rascal'.
- In French, the phrase un démon can describe a person with an insatiable passion or a restless energy, such as a démon de la danse for someone who cannot stop dancing.
- Unlike the English 'demon', which is almost always negative, the original Greek root daímōn referred to a guiding spirit that could be either good or evil.
Examples in context
- Le démon est mort.The demon is dead.The sentence is useful for noting the state of the démon.Tatoeba #8800441 by felix63, translation #3762148 by Hybrid
- Il y a un démon en moi.There is a demon inside of me.The sentence is useful for expressing that there is a démon inside a person.Tatoeba #8553140 by Aiji, translation #1126655 by AlanF_US
- Le démon s'est échappé.The demon escaped.The sentence is useful for stating that the démon has escaped.Tatoeba #13345064 by genes1s, translation #8861356 by shekitten
- Ce livre parle des démons et des créatures surnaturelles.This book talks about demons and supernatural creatures.
- Ce film d'horreur est vraiment effrayant, les démons sont terrifiants!This horror movie is truly terrifying, the demons are frightening!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are discussing a fantasy movie.
- LéaRegarde ce démon dans le film !Look at that demon in the movie!
- NathanIl a l'air vraiment effrayant.He looks really scary.
- LéaJe pense que c'est un démon ancien.I think it is an ancient demon.
- NathanC'est sûrement le méchant de l'histoire.He is probably the villain of the story.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “demon” translations and entries démon, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
