grec
/ɡʁɛk/masculine
The French word for Greek is grec.
grec is used to refer to the Greek language, to things relating to Greek culture or people or to a Greek man.
Meaning: language of the Greek people (name)
Which one should you use?
When referring specifically to the Greek language, use the masculine noun le grec.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number: grec is the masculine singular form, grecque is the feminine singular, grecs is the masculine plural and grecques is the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɡʁɛk/
What mistakes should you avoid?
In French, do not capitalize the adjective grec. While the noun used for a person (un Grec) is capitalized, the adjective describing things or people is written in lowercase.
Did you know?
- While most modern French words follow standard evolution, the term feu grégeois for 'Greek fire' uses an archaic version of the word grec. This specific form, grégeois, has disappeared from almost all other parts of the language.
- In French, the phrase c'est du grec is used to describe something that is completely incomprehensible. It functions as an idiom for nonsense, much like the English expression 'it's Greek to me'.
Examples in context
- Ma mère est grecque.My mother is Greek.This sentence shows the feminine form grecque used to describe a person.Tatoeba #6066409 by natell, translation #4597902 by Ricardo14
- Ce mot vient du grec.This word comes from Greek.This sentence uses grec to refer to the Greek language.Tatoeba #460770 by sacredceltic, translation #59390 by CK
- Ce mot dérive du grec.This word is derived from Greek.Tatoeba #849588 by sacredceltic, translation #59344 by shekitten
- Je suis étudiant en langue grecque.I am a student of the Greek language.
- L'art hellénique est renommé dans le monde entier.Greek art is renowned worldwide.
- Ma meilleure amie est grecque.My best friend is Greek.
- J'adore la cuisine grecque, surtout les souvlakis.I love Greek cuisine, especially souvlakis.
- Les dieux grecs étaient très puissants et fascinants.The Greek gods were powerful and fascinating.
- Les philosophes grecs ont eu une grande influence sur la pensée occidentale.Greek philosophers had a significant influence on Western thinking.
- 124 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Lucas are discussing their university courses.
- EmmaEst-ce que tu étudies le grec ?Are you studying Greek?
- LucasNon, je préfère le latin.No, I prefer Latin.
- EmmaMoi, je trouve le grec très difficile.As for me, I find Greek very difficult.
- LucasBon courage pour ton cours, Emma !Good luck with your class, Emma!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “greek” translations and entries grec, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries grec, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
