espoir
/ɛs.pwaʁ/
The English phrase 'hope' can be translated into French as espoir.
In French, espoir is a noun referring to the belief that something wished for can happen. Related forms include the female given names Espérance and Nadège.
Meaning: to want something to happen, with expectation that it might (verb)
Which one should you use?
While both espoir and espérance mean hope, espérance often carries a more poetic, philosophical or religious connotation, representing a profound sense of expectation or a long-term virtue.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 'to hope' is espérer. This is a regular -er verb, but it features a spelling change in certain conjugations, such as j'espère, to maintain the correct pronunciation.
How do you pronounce it?
espoir is pronounced /ɛs.pwaʁ/. It has two syllables.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse the noun espoir with the verb espérer.
Did you know?
- In French, the word espérance is used in a mathematical context to refer to the 'expected value' of a random variable.
- The female name Nadège is a French derivative of the Russian name Nadezhda, which means 'hope'.
- In French, you cannot use espérer to say you hope someone is doing well in a way that expresses a wish. Instead, you would use souhaiter, as espérer implies a logical expectation that the outcome is possible.
Examples in context
- Il a de l'espoir.He has hope.This sentence shows how to use espoir to say someone possesses hope.Tatoeba #8620005 by Micsmithel, translation #2862767 by Amastan
- Tom a perdu espoir.Tom gave up hope.This sentence demonstrates the use of espoir when someone has lost hope.Tatoeba #4332802 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #1025689 by CK
- Il y a de l'espoir.There is hope.This sentence shows how to express that hope exists using espoir.Tatoeba #5291285 by Aiji, translation #2252615 by CK
- J'espère sincèrement que ce projet sera un succès.I sincerely hope that this project will be a success.
- Nous espérons que vous trouverez cette offre intéressante.We hope that you find this offer interesting.
- Je croise les doigts pour que tu réussisses ton entretien d'embauche.I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you to succeed in your job interview.
- Croisons les doigts pour qu'il fasse beau demain.Let's hope for good weather tomorrow.
- 233 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are talking about a job application.
- HugoJe n'ai plus d'espoir pour ce poste.I have no more hope for this position.
- EmmaNe perds pas espoir, Hugo !Don't lose hope, Hugo!
- HugoC'est vrai, je garde un peu d'espoir.It's true, I'm keeping a little hope.
- EmmaC'est l'esprit, tout est possible.That's the spirit, everything is possible.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry espoir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
