histoire
/is.twaʁ/feminine
The English word 'history' is translated into French as histoire.
The word histoire is used for both the academic subject of 'history' and for a narrative or 'story'. When referring to History as a formal academic discipline or a specific historical period, it is often capitalized as l'Histoire.
Meaning: branch of knowledge that studies the past (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Because histoire is a feminine noun, the indefinite article une is used when saying 'a story' (une histoire).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /is.twaʁ/.
Did you know?
- In French, the expression raconter des histoires can mean 'to tell stories' but is also a common way to say someone is 'telling lies' or 'making things up'.
- The word histoire descends from the Ancient Greek word ῐ̔́στωρ, which actually meant 'a wise man' or 'a judge'.
- French uses the word histoire in the phrase faire une histoire to describe the act of making a big deal out of something or creating a fuss.
Examples in context
- On va faire l’Histoire.We’ll make history.This sentence shows how to use histoire in the context of making history.Tatoeba #12351521 by sacredceltic, translation #12351518 by sacredceltic
- Il m'a appris l'histoire.He taught me history.This sentence demonstrates how histoire can be used when someone is teaching the subject.Tatoeba #9159690 by Julien_PDC, translation #370634 by saeb
- Je veux étudier l'Histoire.I want to study history.This sentence illustrates the use of histoire when expressing a desire to study the academic discipline.Tatoeba #1032734 by sacredceltic, translation #262266 by CK
- L'histoire de la France est fascinante.The history of France is fascinating.
- J'étudie l'histoire ancienne à l'université.I am studying ancient history at university.
- L'histoire de l'art est une discipline intéressante.Art history is an interesting discipline.
- Tu connais l'histoire de ce monument ?Do you know the history of this monument?
- On devrait apprendre de notre passé pour avancer.We should learn from our history to move forward.
- 273 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are talking about their school classes.
- LéaTu aimes le cours d'histoire ?Do you like history class?
- HugoOui, c'est ma matière préférée.Yes, it is my favorite subject.
- LéaL'histoire est passionnante, n'est-ce pas ?History is fascinating, isn't it?
- HugoC'est vrai, j'adore apprendre le passé.That's true, I love learning about the past.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “history” translations and entries histoire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries histoire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
