électrique
/e.lɛk.tʁik/
The French word for electric is électrique.
électrique is an adjective meaning electrical.
Meaning: electrical (adj)
Which one should you use?
In English, there is often a distinction between 'electric' (for things powered by electricity) and 'electrical' (relating to electricity generally), but French uses électrique for both meanings.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective électrique is invariant in gender, so it remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To make the adjective plural, add an 's' to the end to form électriques.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.lɛk.tʁik/
Did you know?
- The term électrique can be used as a personality trait in slang. If someone is described as being électrique, it means they are behaving in a high-strung, nervous, or hyperactive manner.
- In French, a 'power outage' is often called une coupure de courant, using the word courant which means 'current' or 'flowing'.
- The word électrique is a learned borrowing from the Latin word ēlectricus.
Examples in context
- J'ai une guitare électrique.I have an electric guitar.This sentence shows how to use électrique to describe a guitar.Tatoeba #1342138 by Aiji, translation #1342132 by CK
- J'ai acheté un vélo électrique.I bought an electric bicycle.This sentence shows how to use électrique to describe a bicycle.Tatoeba #5970049 by christian63, translation #5967732 by JanoInstruisto
- Mon vélo électrique est pliable.My electric bicycle is foldable.Tatoeba #12232893 by Aiji, translation #5967726 by JanoInstruisto
- Une voiture électriqueAn electric car
- L'énergie électriqueElectric energy
- Un appareil électriqueAn electric device
- J'ai acheté une voiture électrique super cool !I bought a super cool electric car!
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are talking about a new kitchen appliance.
- LucasC'est une brosse à dents électrique ?Is it an electric toothbrush?
- EmmaOui, c'est un modèle électrique très moderne.Yes, it is a very modern electric model.
- LucasElle est plus efficace qu'une manuelle.It is more effective than a manual one.
- EmmaC'est vrai, le nettoyage électrique est meilleur.That's true, electric cleaning is better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “electric” translations and entries électrique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries électrique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
