Which one should you use?
While expérience is the noun for knowledge gained, French uses different verbs for the English verb 'to experience'. Use éprouver when you experience or feel a specific emotion or sensation, and use vivre when you experience or undergo a life event or a period of time. Do not use expérimenter to describe life events. That verb is reserved specifically for conducting scientific experiments or testing a hypothesis.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase une expérience, the word can mean both 'an experience' (knowledge/event) and 'an experiment' depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ɛk.spe.ʁjɑ̃s/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb expérimenter to mean 'to experience' a feeling or event. However, expérimenter specifically means to conduct a scientific experiment.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'experience' for both, French distinguishes between expérience (skill gained) and vécu (the sum of one's lived experiences).
- The word expérience shares the same root as the English word 'expert', as both derive from the Latin sense of 'having been tested'.
- In professional contexts, the phrase faire ses preuves is often used instead of mentioning 'experience' to describe the process of proving one's competence.
Examples in context
- Je parle par expérience.I speak from experience.Tatoeba #1578675 by sacredceltic, translation #1578533 by CM
- A-t-il de l'expérience ?Does he have experience?Tatoeba #4758503 by sacredceltic, translation #4758494 by cairnhead
- Je le sais d'expérience.I know from experience.Tatoeba #10624369 by Aiji, translation #5747657 by CM
- J'ai de l'expérience dans le marketingI have experience in marketing
- J'ai acquis une pratique solide dans le domaine juridiqueI have gained solid practical experience in the legal field
- Mon vécu à l'étranger m'a beaucoup enrichiMy experience abroad has enriched me a lot
- 251 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are discussing a job opening.
- GabrielTu as de l'expérience dans ce domaine ?Do you have experience in this field?
- EmmaOui, j'ai cinq ans d'expérience.Yes, I have five years of experience.
- GabrielC'est parfait pour ce poste.That is perfect for this position.
- EmmaJ'espère que mon expérience sera utile.I hope my experience will be useful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “experience” translations and entries expérience, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
