dieu
/djø/masculine
The English word 'God' is translated into French as dieu. Wiktionary also lists divinité.
Meaning: deity (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| dieu | /djø/ /dzjø/ (Quebec) |
masculine |
| divinité | /di.vi.ni.te/ | feminine |
The term is used to refer to a deity. For example, the common exclamation Mon Dieu ! (My God!) is used to express surprise, shock or dismay. You can also use the related verb déifier, which means to deify.
Which one should you use?
dieu refers to the entity itself, whereas divinité is used in a more abstract or formal sense to refer to a specific divinity or the quality of being a deity. When you are referring specifically to the single deity of monotheistic religions, such as Christianity or Islam, the word is capitalized as Dieu.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine noun dieu becomes dieux in its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/djø/
Did you know?
- In French, the word dieu shares a common root with the English word 'day', tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European source related to light or the bright sky.
- French uses the word divinité not just for a deity, but as a noun to describe a person's extreme beauty or grace, effectively treating 'divinity' as a physical attribute.
- In French literature and formal speech, referring to someone as a divinité can sometimes be used sarcastically to mock someone who thinks they are more important than they actually are.
Examples in context
- Oh mon Dieu !Good God!This sentence is useful for expressing surprise or shock using dieu.Tatoeba #7704198 by Micsmithel, translation #2586996 by Hybrid
- Merci à Dieu !Thank God.This sentence shows how to express thanks to dieu.Tatoeba #3401832 by sacredceltic, translation #370585 by saeb
- Si Dieu veut !God willing!This sentence demonstrates the expression for 'God willing' using dieu.Tatoeba #10505423 by pkill, translation #3167764 by Theocracy
- La puissance de Dieu est incommensurable.The power of God is immeasurable.
- Mon Dieu, je ne peux pas croire ce que je viens de voir!Oh my God, I can't believe what I just saw!
- Le bonhomme là-haut veillera sur toi.The man up there will watch over you.
- 751 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are discussing a historical novel.
- EmmaEst-ce que ce dieu est puissant dans l'histoire ?Is this god powerful in the story?
- NathanOui, c'est un dieu de la guerre.Yes, he is a god of war.
- EmmaNathan, est-ce que l'auteur décrit bien ce dieu ?Nathan, does the author describe this god well?
- NathanIl décrit ce dieu de façon très réaliste.He describes this god in a very realistic way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “God” translations and entries dieu, divinité, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries dieu, divinité, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
