How to Say “Engagement” in French

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fiançailles
/fjɑ̃.saj/feminine, plural
The English word engagement, referring to a period of time when marriage is planned or promised, is translated into French as fiançailles. Wiktionary also lists accordailles.
Meaning: period of time when marriage is planned or promised (noun)

Ways to say it

“engagement” in French
French IPA Note
fiançailles /fjɑ̃.saj/
/fjɑ̃.sɑj/		 feminine, plural
accordailles /a.kɔʁ.daj/
/a.kɔʁ.dɑj/		 archaic, feminine, plural

In French, fiançailles refers specifically to the period of being engaged to be married. While the French word engagement exists, it refers to a commitment or a booking rather than a marriage engagement. To express the action of getting engaged, use the pronominal verb se fiancer. The individuals involved in the engagement are called a fiancé (masculine) or a fiancée (feminine).

Which one should you use?

fiançailles is the standard term for a marriage engagement. Do not confuse it with the French word engagement, which is a false friend. In French, engagement means a commitment or a booking and is not used to describe the period before a wedding.

How does it change in a sentence?

fiançailles is a feminine plural noun and is almost always used in its plural form.

How do you pronounce it?

The word is pronounced /fjɑ̃.saj/. It has 2 syllables.

What mistakes should you avoid?

Avoid using the French word engagement when you mean a marriage engagement. Instead, use fiançailles.

Did you know?

  • While fiançailles describes the status, the act of proposing is often expressed as demander la main, which literally means 'asking for the hand'.
  • The word fiançailles shares a root with the word foi, meaning 'faith' or 'trust', reflecting the original nature of a betrothal as a pledge of trust.
  • The word accordailles is a much older, more traditional term for an engagement, rooted in the idea of a formal agreement or 'accord' between families.

Examples in context

  • J'ai rompu nos fiançailles.
    I've broken off our engagement.
    This sentence is useful for expressing the breaking of an engagement using fiançailles.
    Tatoeba #1528492 by Rovo, translation #7581135 by CK
  • J'ai annulé les fiançailles.
    I broke off the engagement.
    This sentence is useful for expressing the cancellation of an engagement using fiançailles.
    Tatoeba #494990 by sacredceltic, translation #496532 by CM
  • Ils ont rompu leurs fiançailles.
    They broke off their engagement.
    This sentence is useful for describing a third party breaking off their engagement using fiançailles.
    Tatoeba #494834 by sacredceltic, translation #496535 by CM
  • Ils se sont fiancés
    They got engaged
  • Mes parents sont heureux d'annoncer les fiançailles de leur fille.
    My parents are delighted to announce their daughter's engagement.
  • 20 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Manon and Hugo are discussing their friend's news.

  1. Manon

    Tu as entendu ? Julie a annoncé ses fiançailles !
    Did you hear? Julie announced her engagement!
  2. Hugo

    C'est génial ! Depuis combien de temps sont-ils fiancés ?
    That's great! How long have they been engaged?
  3. Manon

    Je crois que leurs fiançailles vont être courtes.
    I think their engagement will be short.
  4. Hugo

    C'est vrai, ils ont hâte de se marier.
    That's true, they can't wait to get married.

Sources

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Hailey Natasha
Hailey NatashaHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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