derrière
/dɛ.ʁjɛʁ/
To say derriere in French, use derrière.
derrière means behind. As a noun it also means the backside or bottom, which is where the English word derriere comes from.
How do you pronounce it?
The IPA is /dɛ.ʁjɛʁ/, two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Keep the grave accent on the second e when writing it in French.
Did you know?
- While English speakers use 'derriere' as a polite euphemism for the backside, French speakers use derrière primarily as a preposition meaning 'behind'. To refer to the body part, they are more likely to use the word fesses.
- In French, the phrase mettre derrière soi means to leave something in the past or to move on from a trauma. It is used figuratively to describe emotional healing rather than physical movement.
- The word derrière is a cognate of the Italian word dietro. Both evolved from the same Latin roots to describe the area located at the rear.
Examples in context
- Il y a un jardin derrière la maison.There is a garden behind the house.
- Le chat est caché derrière le canapé.The cat is hiding behind the sofa.
- Elle est assise derrière moi.She is sitting behind me.
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are looking for a lost set of keys in the living room.
- NathanOù sont les clés, Emma ?Where are the keys, Emma?
- EmmaRegarde derrière le coussin bleu.Look behind the blue cushion.
- NathanAh, je les ai trouvées !Ah, I found them!
- EmmaTu es très rapide, Nathan.You are very fast, Nathan.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry derrière, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries derrière, CC BY-SA 4.0.
