honneur
/ɔ.nœʁ/
The English word "honor" translates to French as honneur.
honneur refers to excellence of character, high moral worth or virtue. You can also use the expression faire honneur à to express that someone or something brings credit or distinction to a person or a group.
Meaning: excellence of character, high moral worth, virtue (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While honneur is the standard term, the word Gloire can be used in more formal contexts to refer to glory or honor, often in relation to grand achievements or noble causes. Additionally, the specific phrase À qui ai-je l'honneur ? is a highly formal and polite way to ask for someone's name.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun honneur is masculine. This means it is preceded by the masculine indefinite article un or the definite article l'.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɔ.nœʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the expression sauver l'honneur is a common sports term used when a team loses a game but scores a late goal or achieves a small victory to avoid a total humiliation.
- The term point d'honneur historically referred to a specific dispute of honor that was so serious it could only be settled by a formal duel.
- In French legal and historical texts, mon honneur often refers specifically to a person's external public reputation rather than their private moral character.
Examples in context
- Il a perdu son honneur.He lost his honor.This sentence is useful for describing the loss of one's honneur.Tatoeba #132649 by nimfeo, translation #299804 by CK
- À qui ai-je l'honneur ?With whom do I have the honor of speaking?This sentence shows a formal way to ask for a person's name using honneur.Tatoeba #1169346 by sacredceltic, translation #3679063 by Theocracy
- Je jure sur mon honneur.I swear on my honor.This sentence demonstrates using one's honneur to make a solemn oath.Tatoeba #1220514 by sacredceltic, translation #10093578 by letsgolanguages
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing a person's reputation.
- GabrielCet homme est un véritable homme d'honneur.This man is a true man of honor.
- LéaOui, son honneur est reconnu par tous.Yes, his honor is recognized by everyone.
- GabrielIl ne trahirait jamais ses principes.He would never betray his principles.
- LéaC'est une qualité admirable chez lui.It is an admirable quality in him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry honneur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
