jeu
/ʒø/
The English word "game" is jeu in French.
jeu is a noun referring to an activity described by a set of rules, especially for the purpose of entertainment. If you want to specify the type of game, you can use these phrases: jeu de société for a board game, jeu de cartes for a card game and jeu vidéo for a video game. The verb related to this noun is jouer, which means "to play".
Meaning: activity described by a set of rules, especially for the purpose of entertainment (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some French regional dialects, the term Beuverie is occasionally used to refer to a festive gathering or a game event, though it commonly means a drinking party or a booze-up.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of jeu is jeux.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒø/
Did you know?
- The English word 'joke' is a distant relative of the French jeu, both descending from the Latin 'iocus'.
- While jouer means 'to play', the French say faire du sport rather than jouer au sport for most athletic activities.
- In a professional or formal context, jeu can refer to the 'play' or 'movement' of a mechanical part or a specific motion in a technical setting.
Examples in context
- Tom aime ce jeu.Tom likes this game.This sentence is useful for showing how to express liking a specific jeu.Tatoeba #2129281 by Amastan, translation #3437665 by yavuz
- Il aimait ce jeu.He liked that game.Tatoeba #2129151 by Amastan, translation #8758230 by deniko
- J'ai aimé ce jeu.I liked this game.This sentence is useful for showing how to express that you liked a specific jeu in the past.Tatoeba #2129195 by Amastan, translation #5773918 by CarpeLanam
- Les jeux vidéo sont de plus en plus populaires de nos jours.Video games are becoming increasingly popular nowadays.
- Je vais jouer une partie d'échecs avec mon ami.I am going to play a game of chess with my friend.
- Organisons un petit jeu pour divertir les enfants lors de la fête.Let's organize a little game to entertain the children at the party.
- 328 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are at a store looking at toys.
- LéaQuel jeu veux-tu acheter ?Which game do you want to buy?
- GabrielJe veux ce jeu de société.I want this board game.
- LéaEst-ce que c'est un jeu difficile ?Is it a difficult game?
- GabrielNon, c'est un jeu très simple.No, it is a very simple game.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry jeu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jeu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
