Which one should you use?
In English, the word is always capitalized, but in French, when you are using anglais as an adjective or to name the language, it remains lowercase. You only capitalize the word when it is used as a noun to refer to the people of England, such as in les Anglais.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the phrase l'anglais américain is frequently used to refer specifically to American English.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word as an adjective, it must agree with the noun it modifies. For example, the feminine form anglaise is used when modifying a feminine noun. When referring to the English people as a noun, the term is capitalized as les Anglais.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ɑ̃.ɡlɛ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly capitalize anglais when using it as an adjective or to name the language. In French, you should only capitalize the word when it is a noun referring to a person.
Did you know?
- French speakers may use franglais to describe a hybrid mixture of French and English, often used critically to describe the influence of English on the French language.
- The word anglais is built from the name of the 'Angles', a Germanic tribe that settled in Britain during the 5th century.
- While English is a global language, the French government creates the Académie française to protect the French language from being overly influenced by anglais terms.
Examples in context
- Écris ça en anglais.Write this in English.This sentence shows how to use anglais to specify a language for writing.Tatoeba #10888389 by gillux, translation #9083313 by User84539
- Non, je suis Anglais.No, I am English.This sentence demonstrates the use of anglais when referring to someone's nationality.Tatoeba #1760835 by nimfeo, translation #1585479 by ngdongit
- Il parle bien anglais.He speaks English well.This sentence illustrates how to use anglais when describing language proficiency.Tatoeba #131622 by Micsmithel, translation #294011 by CK
- Je suis professeur d'anglais.I am an English teacher.
- Je suis en train d'apprendre la langue anglaise.I am learning the English language.
- Il préfère l'anglais britannique à l'anglais américain.He prefers British English over American English.
- Je parle un peu anglais.I speak a little English.
- L'anglais tout court est facile à apprendre.English, plain and simple, is easy to learn.
- 1624 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a classroom, two students are discussing their studies.
- NathanTu étudies l'anglais cette année ?Are you studying English this year?
- ManonOui, j'ai un cours d'anglais le lundi.Yes, I have an English class on Mondays.
- NathanC'est difficile, l'anglais ?Is English difficult?
- ManonNon, l'anglais est assez facile pour moi.No, English is quite easy for me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “english” translations and entries anglais, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries anglais, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
