en personne
/ɑ̃ pɛʁ.sɔn/
The English phrase "in person" is translated into French as en personne.
Meaning: actually present (prep_phrase)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition en (in) and the noun personne (person).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase 'en personne' is adverbial and does not change its form to agree with the subject or gender of the person being discussed.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃ pɛʁ.sɔn/
Did you know?
- In French, you might also use the expression en chair et en os to say someone is there 'in person', which literally translates to 'in flesh and in bones'.
- The word personne traces back to the Latin 'persona', which originally referred to a mask worn by actors in ancient theater.
- While 'en personne' means 'in person', if you want to say 'no one' in a negative sentence, you must use the exact same word personne.
Examples in context
- Il est venu en personne.He came in person.This sentence shows how to use en personne to describe someone arriving personally.Tatoeba #134725 by sacredceltic, translation #317728 by CK
- Allez le voir en personne.Go and see him in person.This sentence demonstrates using en personne to describe seeing someone physically.Tatoeba #8590 by sacredceltic, translation #241116 by CH
- Il s'y rendit en personne.He went there in person.This sentence illustrates the use of en personne when describing a person going somewhere themselves.Tatoeba #968796 by sacredceltic, translation #298445 by CK
- Je serai là en personne pour l'entretien demain.I will be there in person for the interview tomorrow.
- Nous devons discuter face à face afin de résoudre ce problème.We must discuss face to face in order to resolve this problem.
- On se voit en vrai cette fois-ci, pas seulement sur les réseaux sociaux.We are seeing each other in person this time, not just on social media.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a meeting with a client.
- ManonEst-ce qu'on va le voir en personne ?Are we going to see him in person?
- HugoOui, il vient nous voir au bureau.Yes, he is coming to see us at the office.
- ManonC'est mieux de se parler en personne.It is better to talk to each other in person.
- HugoJe suis tout à fait d'accord.I completely agree.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in person” translations and entries en personne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries en, personne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
