origine
/ɔ.ʁi.ʒin/feminine
Descent in French, meaning lineage or where someone's family comes from, is origine. You will also see ascendance. If unsure, use origine.
Meaning: lineage or hereditary derivation (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| origine | /ɔ.ʁi.ʒin/ | feminine |
| ascendance | /a.sɑ̃.dɑ̃s/ | feminine |
To say someone is of a certain descent, French uses d'origine followed by the nationality adjective, so of Italian descent becomes origin plus the adjective for Italian.
Which one should you use?
origine is the general word for origin or descent. ascendance is more formal and refers specifically to a person's genealogical ancestry or family heritage.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both origine and ascendance are feminine nouns. origine can also be used in the plural, origines, when talking about several sources or roots.
How do you pronounce it?
origine is pronounced /ɔ.ʁi.ʒin/, in three syllables, with a soft g like the s in measure.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'descent' to look backward at ancestors, French uses ascendance, which literally describes a climbing or upward movement in the family tree.
- French distinguishes between origine as a personal heritage and provenance for the origin of an object, meaning you cannot use provenance to describe your own family descent.
- The modern word origine actually replaced an older, more common form, orine, which was used by many people before the Latin-based version became standard.
Examples in context
- Ce mot est d'origine latine.This word is of Latin descent.d'origine latine is how French says of Latin descent.Tatoeba #11942176 by lbdx, translation #1490731 by niceguydave
- Jean-Pierre est d'origine noble.Jean-Pierre is of noble descent.
- Marie revendique une filiation royale.Marie claims a royal descent.
- Elle est d'origine italienne.She is of Italian descent.
- Son origine est assez mystérieuse.His origin is quite mysterious.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing their family histories.
- LéaTu connais ton origine exacte ?Do you know your exact descent?
- HugoPas vraiment, c'est un peu flou.Not really, it is a bit blurry.
- LéaMoi, je sais que je suis d'origine bretonne.As for me, I know I am of Breton descent.
- HugoC'est une très belle région.It is a very beautiful region.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “descent” translations and entries origine, ascendance, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ascendance, origine, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
