etc.
/ɛt.se.te.ʁa/
The English phrase 'etc' is translated into French as etc.
etc. is an abbreviation used at the end of a list to indicate that there are other similar items that have not been mentioned.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛt.se.te.ʁa/
Did you know?
- In French, using etc. can sometimes be perceived as slightly lazy or imprecise in academic writing. Professors often prefer you to use notamment (notably) or entre autres (among others) instead.
- While English speakers often pronounce the letters 'e-t-c', a French speaker will pronounce the full words et cetera. It is rarely spoken as a series of individual letters like 'é-té-cé'.
- In formal French writing, it is considered a grammatical error to place a comma immediately before etc, unlike the common practice in English.
Examples in context
- Au fil du temps, ces dialectes devinrent des langues à part entière : l'espagnol, le français, l'italien, etc.As more time passed, these Creoles became separate languages: Spanish, French, Italian, etc.This sentence shows how to use etc. when listing languages.Tatoeba #11640 by dominiko, translation #53976 by shekitten
- De notre revenu mensuel, nous devons déduire les coûts de la nourriture, du loyer, de l'habillement, des transports, etc.From our monthly revenue, we should deduct the costs of food, rent, clothing, transportation etc.This sentence demonstrates how to use etc. when listing types of monthly costs.Tatoeba #1184383 by sacredceltic, translation #2970704 by mervert1
- J'utiliserai les concepts de haut niveau comme point de départ pour notre réflexion permanente, nos croquis, nos maquettes, etc.I’ll use the top concepts as a starting point for our continued ideation, sketches, sketch models, etc…This sentence illustrates the use of etc. when listing various creative materials or outputs.Tatoeba #1312650 by sacredceltic, translation #1312642 by sacredceltic
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are making a grocery list.
- LéaIl nous faut des fruits : des pommes, des poires, etc.We need fruit: apples, pears, etc.
- GabrielEt on doit aussi acheter des produits laitiers, etc. ?And we should also buy dairy products, etc.?
- LéaOui, du lait, du fromage, etc.Yes, milk, cheese, etc.
- GabrielD'accord, je note tout ça.Okay, I am noting all of that down.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry etc., CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
