diarrhée
/dja.ʁe/feminine
The English word diarrhea is translated into French as diarrhée. Wiktionary also lists foire.
Meaning: medical condition (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| diarrhée | /dja.ʁe/ | feminine |
| foire | /fwaʁ/ | feminine |
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cajun French, the informal term la courante is used to refer to diarrhea.
How does it change in a sentence?
Because diarrhée is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article la or the partitive article de la when referring to it.
How do you pronounce it?
/dja.ʁe/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The term foire originally stems from the Latin word fēriae, which refers to holidays or religious festivals.
- The informal term foire is a slang noun that can also be used as a verb, foirer, meaning to fail or to mess up a task.
- While diarrhée is the standard term, French speakers often use the phrase mal au ventre as a vague catch-all to avoid mentioning the specific condition entirely.
Examples in context
- J’ai de la diarrhée.I have diarrhea.This sentence is useful for stating that you have diarrhée.Tatoeba #10707959 by AutoBot, translation #25352 by jejda
- Avez-vous de la diarrhée ?Do you have diarrhea?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has diarrhée.Tatoeba #2426695 by nimfeo, translation #1671646 by NurseMeeks
- Voici un médicament contre la diarrhée.Here's some medicine for diarrhea.This sentence is useful for identifying medicine for diarrhée.Tatoeba #457190 by sacredceltic, translation #25350 by darinmex
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo is calling his doctor to describe his symptoms.
- HugoBonjour docteur, j'ai une forte diarrhée depuis ce matin.Hello doctor, I have had severe diarrhea since this morning.
- EmmaC'est peut-être une intoxication alimentaire, Hugo.It might be food poisoning, Hugo.
- HugoJe ne sais pas, mais la diarrhée ne s'arrête pas.I don't know, but the diarrhea won't stop.
- EmmaVenez me voir au cabinet pour un examen.Come see me at the office for an examination.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “diarrhea” translations and entries diarrhée, foire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries diarrhée, foire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
