Empire State Building
In French, the Empire State Building is called Empire State Building. If unsure, use Empire State Building. Wiktionary also lists Bâtiment Empire State and Bâtiment État de l'Empire.
Meaning: skyscraper (name)
Ways to say it
| French |
|---|
| Empire State Building |
| Bâtiment Empire State |
| Bâtiment État de l'Empire |
The English name is the most common way to refer to this skyscraper in French, though it is almost always preceded by the definite article l’ (the).
Which one should you use?
Bâtiment Empire State is a literal translation of the English name, but it is much less common in natural French than simply using the original English name.
How does it change in a sentence?
The English name is treated as a masculine noun in French.
Did you know?
- The French word bâtiment shares an unexpected ancestry with the English word 'build', but it actually stems from a Frankish word meaning 'to sew' or 'to weave'.
- In French, the word état (state) is a close relative of the word été (been), as both stem from the same Latin root status.
- If you were to use the literal translation Bâtiment État de l'Empire, a French speaker might find it confusing, as it sounds more like a description of a government building than a proper name.
Examples in context
- L'Empire State Building est très haut.The Empire State Building is very tall.
- On voit l'Empire State Building de la rue.We can see the Empire State Building from the street.
- Je veux monter à l'Empire State Building.I want to go up the Empire State Building.
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are planning their trip to New York.
- ChloéLucas, est-ce qu'on va à l'Empire State Building ?Lucas, are we going to the Empire State Building?
- LucasOui, c'est sur notre liste pour lundi.Yes, it is on our list for Monday.
- ChloéJe veux prendre des photos de l'Empire State Building.I want to take photos of the Empire State Building.
- LucasMoi aussi, la vue doit être magnifique.Me too, the view must be magnificent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “empire state building” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries building, bâtiment, de, empire, état, CC BY-SA 4.0.
