documentaire
/dɔ.ky.mɑ̃.tɛʁ/masculine
The English word "documentary" is translated into French as documentaire. Wiktionary also lists film documentaire.
Meaning: documentary film (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| documentaire | /dɔ.ky.mɑ̃.tɛʁ/ | masculine |
| film documentaire | masculine |
The term refers to a documentary film. It can be used as a noun to describe the film itself, or as an adjective to describe something that is related to, based on or serves to document something.
Which one should you use?
The single word documentaire can function as both a noun meaning "a documentary" and as an adjective meaning "documentary" (for example, to describe documentary evidence). You may also use the phrase film documentaire when you want to specifically specify the medium of a documentary film.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a noun, documentaire is masculine, so you would use the masculine article un (e.g., un documentaire).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /dɔ.ky.mɑ̃.tɛʁ/.
Did you know?
- In French, a 'mockumentary' is called a docu-fiction, reflecting a blend of the documentaire and the fiction genres.
- French cinema is credited with pioneering the 'city symphony' style of documentaire in the 1920s, where the camera captures the rhythm of urban life without a plot.
- While documentaire is the standard term, French critics often use the more sophisticated term grand reportage to describe high-quality, long-form investigative documentaries.
Examples in context
- Je réalise un documentaire.I'm making a documentary.This sentence is useful for describing the act of making a documentaire.Tatoeba #5204921 by davidcfres, translation #5204251 by CK
- Je regardais un documentaire.I was watching a documentary.This sentence is useful for describing the act of watching a documentaire.Tatoeba #7124928 by Aiji, translation #2628704 by CK
- Je vais regarder un documentaire.I'm going to watch a documentary.This sentence is useful for expressing an intention to watch a documentaire.Tatoeba #7057161 by Aiji, translation #2628702 by CK
- Je vais regarder un documentaire sur la nature demain soir.I'm going to watch a documentary about nature tomorrow evening.
- On a regardé un chouette docu hier soir.We watched a cool documentary last night.
- J'ai assisté à la projection d'un film documentaire au festival.I attended a screening of a documentary film at the festival.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are talking about what to watch on television.
- ChloéTu veux regarder ce documentaire ?Do you want to watch this documentary?
- NathanOui, il a l'air très intéressant.Yes, it looks very interesting.
- ChloéC'est un documentaire sur la nature.It is a documentary about nature.
- NathanParfait, j'adore ce genre de films.Perfect, I love those kinds of films.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “documentary” translations and entries documentaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
