déesse
/de.ɛs/feminine
The French word for goddess is déesse.
The term déesse is a feminine noun used to refer to a female deity.
Meaning: female deity (noun)
Which one should you use?
While the masculine form dieu is used to refer to a god, déesse is used exclusively for a female deity.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the plural, use déesses.
How do you pronounce it?
The word consists of two syllables and is pronounced /de.ɛs/.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, where 'god' can be used as a general term for any deity, using Dieu with a capital letter in French almost exclusively refers to the Abrahamic God.
- In French literature, calling a woman a déesse was a hallmark of ' précieuses' culture in the 17th century, where refined language was used to idealize love.
- The suffix -esse used in déesse is a common pattern in French to create feminine forms, seen in other words like prêtresse for 'priestess'.
Examples in context
- Je t'aime, ma déesse !I love you, my goddess!Tatoeba #6459289 by GB3, translation #6459199 by heo598
- Je suis en secret une déesse.I am secretly a goddess.Tatoeba #11827372 by Rovo, translation #11824735 by soweli_Tansisi
- L'équivalent romain de la déesse Artémis était Diane.The Roman equivalent of the goddess Artemis was Diana.Tatoeba #8433388 by lbdx, translation #6331975 by Hybrid
- La déesse Athéna est connue pour sa sagesse et sa force.The goddess Athena is known for her wisdom and strength.
- Elle était considérée comme une déesse puissante par les anciens Romains.She was considered a powerful goddess by the ancient Romans.
- Tu es vraiment une déesse absolue avec cette tenue !You truly are an absolute goddess in that outfit!
- Elle a préparé un dîner délicieux, elle est une déesse absolue aux fourneaux.She cooked a delicious dinner, she's an absolute goddess in the kitchen.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are looking at a museum exhibit about Greek mythology.
- ManonRegarde cette statue de la déesse Athéna.Look at this statue of the goddess Athena.
- LucasElle est vraiment magnifique, Manon.She is truly magnificent, Manon.
- ManonLa déesse semble très puissante.The goddess seems very powerful.
- LucasOui, c'est une œuvre impressionnante.Yes, it is an impressive work.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goddess” translations and entries déesse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
