hyperactif
/i.pɛ.ʁak.tif/
In French, the English phrase hyper can refer to the adjective hyperactif, used to describe someone with an unusually high level of energy or activity.
In colloquial French, the word hyper can also function as an informal adverb meaning very or super to intensify an adjective.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective changes based on gender and number: hyperactif is the masculine singular, hyperactive is the feminine singular, hyperactifs is the masculine plural and hyperactives is the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/i.pɛ.ʁak.tif/
Did you know?
- The word hyper is frequently used in France as a shorthand for hypermarché, the massive supermarket stores that often anchor shopping malls.
- In colloquial French, hyper is often used as a prefix to create new slang adjectives, such as hyperstylé to describe something exceptionally cool or trendy.
- If you use hyper as an adverb in a formal setting, you might sound like a teenager, as it is heavily associated with youth slang.
Examples in context
- Mon petit frère est très hyperactif.My little brother is very hyperactive.
- L'élève est hyperactif en classe aujourd'hui.The student is hyperactive in class today.
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are talking about their young nephew.
- ChloéRegarde le petit, il est hyperactif !Look at the little one, he is hyper!
- HugoOui, il ne s'arrête jamais de courir.Yes, he never stops running.
- ChloéIl a besoin de se calmer un peu.He needs to calm down a bit.
- HugoC'est normal, il est juste très actif.It's normal, he is just very active.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry hyperactif, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
