expérience
/ɛk.spe.ʁjɑ̃s/feminine
The French word for experiment is expérience.
The noun expérience is used to describe a test conducted under controlled conditions. It can also refer to the concept of life experience. If you wish to talk about the act of conducting an experiment, you can use the verb expérimenter.
Meaning: test under controlled conditions (noun)
Which one should you use?
While expérience refers to a specific instance of an experiment, the word expérimentation is used to describe the broader process of experimentation or testing.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because expérience is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine indefinite article une when saying 'an experiment' (une expérience).
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ɛk.spe.ʁjɑ̃s/ and has 3 syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes assume expérience only means 'experiment' in a scientific context, but it is also the standard French word for the general concept of 'experience'.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, which uses 'experience' as both a noun and a verb (to experience), French almost always uses expérience as a noun and switches to different verbs like ressentir or vivre.
- The word expérience shares a common ancestor with the English word 'expert'.
- When describing a 'thought experiment', French speakers use the term expérience de pensée.
Examples in context
- Faisons une expérience !Let's do an experiment!This sentence is useful for suggesting that one perform an experiment using expérience.Tatoeba #11157415 by lbdx, translation #9291785 by ChurroC
- L'expérience fut un succès.The experiment was successful.This sentence describes the outcome of an experiment using expérience.Tatoeba #457438 by sacredceltic, translation #265199 by CK
- L'expérience fut une réussite.The experiment succeeded.This sentence describes the success of an experiment using expérience.Tatoeba #383119 by pierrephi, translation #351259 by human600
- J'ai mené une expérience sur l'effet de la lumière sur les plantesI conducted an experiment on the effect of light on plants
- J'ai réalisé une expérience sur la gravité qui a donné des résultats surprenants.I conducted an experiment on gravity that yielded surprising results.
- Les résultats de l'essai ont confirmé nos hypothèses préliminairesThe results of the experiment confirmed our preliminary hypotheses
- Les chercheurs ont mené un essai sur l'efficacité de ce nouveau traitement contre le cancer.The researchers conducted an experiment on the effectiveness of this new cancer treatment.
- L'épreuve a démontré l'efficacité du nouveau médicamentThe experiment demonstrated the effectiveness of the new medication
- On peut faire une petite expérimentation pour voir si ça fonctionneWe can do a little experiment to see if it works
- On pourrait faire une petite expérimentation pour voir si cette nouvelle recette fonctionne.We could do a little experiment to see if this new recipe works.
- On a fait un test pour voir si ça marcheWe did a test to see if it works
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are in a laboratory working on a science project.
- HugoOn doit préparer une nouvelle expérience.We must prepare a new experiment.
- ManonEst-ce que l'expérience est difficile, Hugo ?Is the experiment difficult, Hugo?
- HugoNon, elle est très simple.No, it is very simple.
- ManonD'accord, commençons alors.Okay, let's start then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “experiment” translations and entries expérience, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries expérience, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
