gobelin
/ɡɔ.blɛ̃/masculine
The French word for 'goblin' is gobelin. Wiktionary also lists lutin.
Meaning: hostile diminutive humanoid in fantasy literature (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| gobelin | /ɡɔ.blɛ̃/ | masculine |
| lutin | /ly.tɛ̃/ | masculine |
gobelin is used to describe a hostile, diminutive humanoid typical of fantasy literature.
Which one should you use?
While gobelin refers to a hostile fantasy creature, lutin is used for more mischievous, smaller or less threatening folklore creatures such as an imp, sprite or brownie.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both gobelin and lutin are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ɡɔ.blɛ̃/.
Did you know?
- The word lutin is a distant relative of the name 'Neptune'. Over centuries, the name of the Roman sea god was reinterpreted as a demon and then shifted to mean a small, mischievous creature.
Examples in context
- Le lutin malicieux se cachait dans les bois.The mischievous goblin was hiding in the woods.
- Le conte de fées est rempli de lutins amicaux.The fairy tale is filled with friendly goblins.
- Le farfadet a joué un tour à mon ami.The goblin played a prank on my friend.
- Attention aux korrigans dans ces bois-là!Beware of the goblins in those woods!
- Le gobelin est très maléfique.The goblin is very evil.
- Elle a dessiné un petit gobelin vert.She drew a small green goblin.
- Le gobelin vole l'or du dragon.The goblin steals the dragon's gold.
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are playing a fantasy board game.
- NathanRegarde, un gobelin arrive !Look, a goblin is coming!
- ManonJe vais l'attaquer avec mon épée.I'm going to attack it with my sword.
- NathanFais attention, le gobelin est rapide.Be careful, the goblin is fast.
- ManonJe l'ai eu ! Il est vaincu.I got him! He is defeated.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goblin” translations and entries gobelin, lutin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gobelin, lutin, CC BY-SA 4.0.
