grammaire
/ɡʁa.mɛʁ/feminine
The English word "grammar" is translated into French as grammaire.
grammaire is a feminine noun used to refer to the rules of speaking and writing a language. In more formal contexts, you may encounter the term la syntaxe, which serves as a synonym and places a specific emphasis on structural rules.
Meaning: rules for speaking and writing a language (noun)
Which one should you use?
la syntaxe is often used as a synonym for grammar in a formal context and emphasizes structural rules.
How does it change in a sentence?
grammaire is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁa.mɛʁ/
Did you know?
- The English word 'glamour' actually descends from the French grammaire. It originally described a magical spell or an illusion before it came to mean physical attractiveness.
- In old French folklore, the word grammaire was often used to refer to magic and the occult. Because only the literate could read the complex texts, the study of 'grammar' became synonymous with the study of spells.
- The concept of la grammaire in French is deeply tied to the 'Académie française', an institution that works to preserve and regulate the language's rules.
Examples in context
- Au diable la grammaire !Grammar be hanged.This sentence shows an idiomatic way to express frustration with grammar.Tatoeba #937805 by sacredceltic, translation #320057 by rul
- Je suis nul en grammaire.My grammar sucks.This sentence is useful for expressing that one is not good at grammar.Tatoeba #7105685 by Micsmithel, translation #6053372 by OsoHombre
- J'ai un livre de grammaire.I have a grammar book.This sentence shows how to refer to a book about grammar.Tatoeba #8548099 by Aiji, translation #3944988 by AlanF_US
- La grammaire française est complexe mais fascinante.French grammar is complex but fascinating.
- Dans cet ouvrage, nous étudierons la syntaxe de la langue française.In this book, we will study the syntax of the French language.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are studying for a French exam together.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu comprends cette règle de grammaire ?Do you understand this grammar rule?
- ChloéNon, la grammaire est vraiment difficile pour moi.No, grammar is really difficult for me.
- GabrielOn peut regarder dans le manuel ensemble.We can look in the manual together.
- ChloéD'accord, Gabriel, ça m'aiderait beaucoup.Okay, Gabriel, that would help me a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “grammar” translations and entries grammaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
