français
/fʁɑ̃.sɛ/
The English word "french" translates to French as français.
The word français is used as an adjective relating to the French language.
Meaning: of or relating to the French language (adj)
Which one should you use?
The lowercase français is used when you are referring to the language or using it as an adjective. In contrast, the capitalized Français is used to refer to the people of France.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the word as an adjective, français is not capitalized. The feminine form of the adjective is française.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /fʁɑ̃.sɛ/.
Did you know?
- The name for the language and its people derives from the 'Franks', a Germanic tribe that ruled much of Gaul during the Early Middle Ages.
- The suffix '-ais' in français is a way of indicating belonging, which shares a common history with the English suffix '-ish' seen in words like 'English' or 'Spanish'.
- While français is the adjective for 'French', the term francophone is used to describe any person who speaks the language regardless of their nationality.
Examples in context
- Oh, t'es Français !Oh, you're French!This sentence is useful for recognizing someone's nationality using the form français.Tatoeba #8319131 by Julien_PDC, translation #8319126 by Amastan
- Il lit le français.He reads French.This sentence is useful for describing the act of reading the form français.Tatoeba #8737259 by Julien_PDC, translation #8479469 by CH
- Qui parle français ?Who speaks French?This sentence is useful for asking about someone's ability to speak the form français.Tatoeba #2354750 by Amastan, translation #2254884 by CK
- Je suis en train d'apprendre le français.I am learning French.
- J'adore la langue française.I love the French language.
- Pouvez-vous m'apprendre un peu de français?Can you teach me some French?
- 2800 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are talking about their university classes.
- ChloéTu as un cours de français ?Do you have a French class?
- NathanOui, j'étudie le français depuis un an.Yes, I have been studying French for a year.
- ChloéC'est super, Nathan !That's great, Nathan!
- NathanMerci, mais c'est difficile.Thanks, but it's difficult.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “french” translations and entries français, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries français, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
