jeu vidéo
/ʒø vi.de.o/
The English word 'gaming' translates to French as jeu vidéo.
When referring to the concept of 'gaming' as an industry or a field of study, French uses the singular le jeu vidéo.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
Which one should you use?
The term Le gaming is an informal borrowing from English used among friends and gaming communities. The phrase Divertissement numérique translates to 'digital entertainment' and is a formal way to refer to gaming in a broad sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of jeu vidéo is jeux vidéo.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒø vi.de.o/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- French gamers often use the verb geeker to describe the act of spending hours playing jeux vidéo, turning the English noun 'geek' into a French action.
- The word jeu shares an ancestor with the English word 'joke', both stemming from the Latin 'iocus' meaning 'jest' or 'play'.
- In many French-speaking regions, using the English loanword le gaming can actually sound more 'professional' or 'industry-focused' than the proper French term in a business context.
Examples in context
- Dans le domaine du jeu vidéo, le ping désigne le temps nécessaire pour que les données voyagent d'un ordinateur vers un serveur, puis reviennent à l'ordinateur.In gaming, ping refers to the time it takes for data to travel from a computer to a server and then back to the computer.This sentence shows how the term jeu vidéo is used when discussing technical concepts like ping within the industry.Tatoeba #13748895 by Myrano_, translation #13748894 by Myrano_
- Les jeux vidéo connaissent une popularité croissante en France.Video games are becoming increasingly popular in France.
- Tu veux faire du gaming ce soir?Do you want to do some gaming tonight?
- Ce jeu vidéo est très populaire en ce moment.This video game is very popular right now.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are talking about their hobbies.
- ManonQu'est-ce que tu fais pendant ton temps libre, Gabriel ?What do you do in your free time, Gabriel?
- GabrielJ'adore le jeu vidéo et le sport.I love gaming and sports.
- ManonMoi aussi ! On peut jouer ensemble ?Me too! Can we play together?
- GabrielOui, avec plaisir, Manon !Yes, with pleasure, Manon!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry jeu vidéo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries jeu, vidéo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
