tueur à gages
/tɥœ.ʁ‿a ɡaʒ/masculine
The English phrase hitman is translated into French as tueur à gages. If unsure, use tueur à gages. Wiktionary also lists sicaire.
Meaning: contract killer (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tueur à gages | /tɥœ.ʁ‿a ɡaʒ/ | masculine |
| sicaire | /si.kɛʁ/ | masculine |
The term refers to a contract killer.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase tueur à gages literally translates to 'killer for wages' or 'killer for hire'.
Which one should you use?
While tueur à gages is the standard term, sicaire is a more formal or literary term used to describe a hired killer.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a female hitman, the masculine noun tueur changes to the feminine tueuse to form tueuse à gages. For the plural form tueurs à gages, only the noun tueur takes an 's'.
How do you pronounce it?
/tɥœ.ʁ‿a ɡaʒ/
Did you know?
- French cinema often uses the term le nettoyeur (the cleaner) to describe a specific type of hitman who specializes in removing evidence.
- The term sicaire is frequently used in French biblical translations to describe the Zealots who carried out political assassinations against Romans.
- The more literary term sicaire shares its origin with the 'sica', a curved dagger used by assassins in ancient Rome. This connection gives the word a sharp, historical weight that 'tueur' lacks.
Examples in context
- Sami était un tueur à gages professionnel.Sami was a professional hitman.This sentence shows the use of tueur à gages to describe a professional.Tatoeba #6378536 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6378518 by OsoHombre
- Tom a été tué par un tueur à gages.Tom was killed by a hitman.This sentence shows how tueur à gages is used to identify someone who killed a person.Tatoeba #11784655 by tieguy, translation #9969173 by ddnktr
- La police a arrêté un tueur à gages lié à plusieurs meurtres non résolus.The police arrested a hitman linked to several unsolved murders.
- Le personnage principal du film est un tueur à gages redoutable.The main character in the movie is a formidable hitman.
- Le héros du roman était autrefois un assassin redouté.The hero of the novel was once a feared hitman.
- Le film raconte l'histoire d'un tueur à gages.The movie tells the story of a hitman.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are discussing a crime thriller novel.
- ChloéEst-ce que le tueur à gages est le méchant ?Is the hitman the villain?
- GabrielNon, il est l'homme de main d'un chef de gang.No, he is the henchman of a gang leader.
- ChloéC'est un personnage très sombre, ce tueur à gages.This hitman is a very dark character.
- GabrielOui, son passé est vraiment tragique.Yes, his past is truly tragic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “hitman” translations and entries tueur à gages, sicaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sicaire, tueur, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
