Pâques
/pak/feminine, plural
Easter in French is Pâques.
Pâques refers to the Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Meaning: Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Pâques is a feminine plural noun. It is always used in its plural form, even when referring to the single holiday of Easter.
How do you pronounce it?
/pak/
When do people say it?
Common traditions and terms include la chasse aux œufs de Pâques (Easter egg hunt) and les cloches de Pâques (Easter bells).
Did you know?
- In France, children are told that the Easter eggs are not brought by a bunny but are delivered by les cloches de Pâques (Easter bells) that fly from church towers.
- There is a strange historical overlap in the word's roots between the religious 'pascha' and the Latin 'pascuum', which means 'pasture' or 'grazing'.
- The French spelling includes a circumflex on the 'â', a historical marker that often indicates a letter, like 's', has been dropped over centuries.
Examples in context
- Je décore un œuf de Pâques.I'm painting an Easter egg.This sentence is useful for describing the action of decorating an egg with Pâques.Tatoeba #3655629 by sacredceltic, translation #1346586 by CK
- Pâques est à portée de main.Easter is near at hand.This sentence shows how to say that Pâques is near.Tatoeba #4771308 by nimfeo, translation #319818 by CM
- Pâques approche à grands pas.Easter will soon come around.This sentence is useful for saying that Pâques is approaching quickly.Tatoeba #3449121 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #20891 by fishda
- La fête de Pâques est un moment important pour les chrétiens.The Easter holiday is an important time for Christians.
- Les cloches sont passées pendant la nuit pour nous laisser des chocolats!The bells came during the night to leave us chocolates!
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are talking about their upcoming holiday plans.
- ChloéQu'est-ce que tu fais pour Pâques ?What are you doing for Easter?
- HugoJe vais voir ma famille pour Pâques.I am going to see my family for Easter.
- ChloéC'est une bonne idée.That is a good idea.
- HugoOui, j'adore les fêtes de Pâques.Yes, I love Easter celebrations.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Easter” translations and entries Pâques, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pâques, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
