Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| éteint | /e.tɛ̃/ |
| disparu | /dis.pa.ʁy/ |
Both éteint and disparu are used to describe something that has died out completely or no longer exists, such as an animal or plant species, a family or a class of people. You can use langue éteinte to refer to an extinct language, and culture en voie de disparition to describe a culture that is currently on the verge of extinction.
What does it mean word for word?
The adjective éteint is the past participle of the verb éteindre, which means to extinguish or put out, such as a fire or a light.
Which one should you use?
In scientific or formal contexts, the phrase une espèce éteinte is the standard way to describe a species that is extinct.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both adjectives must agree in gender with the noun they modify. For example, the masculine éteint becomes éteinte for feminine nouns and the masculine disparu becomes disparue for feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/e.tɛ̃/
Did you know?
- In everyday French, éteint is most commonly used to say a light or an electronic device is 'off' rather than referring to extinct species.
- While English uses 'extinct' for both species and fires, in French, using éteint for a person would imply they have become pale or exhausted.
- The word éteint can also describe a color that has faded or lost its brilliance over time.
Examples in context
- Les mammouths ont disparu.The mastodons are extinct.This sentence is useful for seeing how disparu describes mastodons that have gone extinct.Tatoeba #11962191 by lbdx, translation #11962178 by shekitten
- Le dodo est une espèce disparue.The dodo is an extinct animal.This sentence shows how disparu can be used to describe an extinct animal species like the dodo.Tatoeba #14020912 by zogwarg, translation #14016226 by araneo
- Le dodo est une espèce déjà éteinte.The dodo is an already extinct species.This sentence shows how to use éteint to describe an already extinct species.Tatoeba #12805893 by lbdx, translation #1248757 by alec
- Le dodo, un oiseau endémique de l'île Maurice, est maintenant éteint.The dodo, an endemic bird of Mauritius, is now extinct.
- La civilisation maya est souvent considérée comme disparue, mais ses influences persistent encore aujourd'hui.The Mayan civilization is often considered extinct, but its influences still persist today.
- 11 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are watching a nature documentary.
- NathanEst-ce que ce genre est éteint ?Is this genus extinct?
- ManonOui, il est totalement éteint depuis longtemps.Yes, it has been totally extinct for a long time.
- NathanC'est vraiment triste pour la nature.It is truly sad for nature.
- ManonC'est un fait scientifique, Nathan.It is a scientific fact, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “extinct” translations and entries éteint, disparu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
