designer
/di.zaj.nœʁ/masculine
In French, the English term 'designer' is translated as designer. If unsure, use designer. Wiktionary also lists styliste and designeur.
Meaning: person who designs (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| designer | /di.zaj.nœʁ/ | masculine |
| styliste | feminine, masculine | |
| designeur | masculine | |
| designeuse | feminine |
The English term designer is widely used in French. You can use it generally, or specify the field such as un(e) designer de mode for a fashion designer or un(e) designer d'intérieur for an interior designer.
Which one should you use?
While designer is a general term, styliste is used specifically for a fashion designer. In high-end fashion contexts, a more formal term is Créateur(trice).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Paris and its surrounding regions, some designers are referred to as Styliste-modéliste.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word designer can be masculine as designer. The feminine form of this loanword is designeuse.
How do you pronounce it?
/di.zaj.nœʁ/
Did you know?
- The feminine form designeuse is an example of 'francisation', where French speakers apply native feminine suffixes to English loanwords to make them fit French grammar.
- While designer is common, the word créateur carries a heavy connotation of artistic genius and high status in the world of haute couture. It suggests the person is an auteur of a vision rather than just a professional providing a service.
- The term styliste can be used for people who design things other than clothes, such as stylistes automobiles for car designers.
Examples in context
- Elle veut être designer.She wants to be a designer.Tatoeba #134040 by Barbiche0, translation #311636 by CK
- Elle veut devenir designer.She hopes to become a designer.Tatoeba #3075093 by Ppjet6, translation #309173 by CK
- Tom est designer.Tom is a designer.Tatoeba #7696122 by Maxence, translation #2272787 by CK
- un(e) designer talentueux(se)A talented designer
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are talking about a friend's career.
- GabrielEst-ce que Marc est un designer ?Is Marc a designer?
- ManonOui, il est designer de meubles.Yes, he is a furniture designer.
- GabrielC'est un excellent designer.He is an excellent designer.
- ManonIl travaille pour une grande agence.He works for a large agency.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “designer” translations and entries designer, styliste, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
