Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| hacker | /a.kœʁ/ /a.ke/ |
masculine |
| hackeur | /a.kœʁ/ | masculine |
| fouineur | /fwi.nœʁ/ | masculine |
| pirate informatique | feminine, masculine |
All these terms refer to a person who uses a computer to gain unauthorized access to data stored in, or to carry out malicious attacks on, computer networks or computer systems. While hacker and hackeur are loanwords often used when discussing technical topics, fouineur suggests a more casual, prying behavior and pirate informatique is the standard way to describe a computer pirate.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase pirate informatique, the word informatique acts as an adjective modifying pirate, effectively meaning 'computer pirate'.
Which one should you use?
The English loanword hacker is commonly used in informal or technical contexts. The term hackeur is a Gallicized spelling of the same English word, frequently seen in French media and informal writing. For a more colloquial sense of someone who is prying or snooping around rather than a professional cybercriminal, use fouineur. Pirate informatique is the standard formal term.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /a.kœʁ/ and consists of two syllables.
Did you know?
- The term fouineur comes from the word for a weasel, fouine, because of the animal's habit of sniffing around and prying.
- In French, the word 'informatique' is not just a technical adjective, but a portmanteau of 'information' and 'automatique'.
- In French, informatique refers to both the field of computer science and the computers themselves, whereas English usually separates the two.
Examples in context
- Un pirate informatique a eu accès à des fichiers sensibles dans la base de données de l'entreprise.A hacker gained access to sensitive files in the company's database.This sentence shows how to use pirate informatique to describe someone gaining access to sensitive files.Tatoeba #11239665 by lbdx, translation #6029294 by Huskion
- Le pirate informatique obtint l'accès à des fichiers sensibles dans la base de données de la société.The hacker gained access to sensitive files in the company's database.This sentence illustrates the use of pirate informatique.Tatoeba #814075 by sacredceltic, translation #638215 by darinmex
- L'expert en cybersécurité a su prévenir les attaques des pirates informatiques et protéger le système informatique de l'entreprise avec succès.The cybersecurity expert was able to prevent attacks from computer pirates and successfully protect the company's computer system.
- Ce hacker a volé les mots de passe des clients.This hacker stole the customers' passwords.
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing a security breach on the news.
- ManonTu as vu l'article sur le nouveau hacker ?Did you see the article about the new hacker?
- HugoOui, il est vraiment très dangereux.Yes, he is very dangerous.
- ManonHugo, il faut changer tous nos mots de passe.Hugo, we must change all our passwords.
- HugoTu as raison, je vais le faire tout de suite.You are right, I will do it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hacker” translations and entries hacker, hackeur, fouineur, pirate informatique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fouineur, hacker, hackeur, informatique, pirate, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
