innocent
/i.nɔ.sɑ̃/
The French word for innocent is innocent.
innocent is used to describe someone who is not legally responsible for a wrongful act. You can use the expression faire l'innocent to describe someone who is pretending to be naive or pretending not to know something. In formal contexts, Non coupable is used in legal settings to refer to someone who is not guilty, while Pur or pure can be used formally to describe innocent motives or actions. In casual conversation, you might say n'avoir rien fait de mal to express that someone has done nothing wrong.
Meaning: not legally responsible for a wrongful act (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word changes based on gender and number: the feminine form is innocente, the masculine plural is innocents and the feminine plural is innocentes.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has three syllables and is pronounced /i.nɔ.sɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- The French word innocent shares the same root as the English word 'noxious', because both come from the Latin 'nocere', meaning 'to hurt'.
- In many French-speaking regions, the word innocent can colloquially be used to describe a person who is easily fooled or 'gullible'.
- While English uses 'innocent' to describe a childlike lack of experience, French speakers often prefer naïf or candide to avoid the legal connotations of innocent.
Examples in context
- Il se dit innocent.He says he's innocent.This sentence is useful for showing how someone might claim to be innocent.Tatoeba #12908243 by lbdx, translation #7405344 by CH
- Je le crois innocent.I believe that he is innocent.This sentence is useful for expressing belief that someone is innocent.Tatoeba #472209 by Rovo, translation #303989 by CK
- Ne fais pas l'innocent.Don't act so innocent.This sentence is useful for telling someone not to act like an innocent.Tatoeba #11997348 by lbdx, translation #2565993 by Hybrid
- Il a été déclaré innocent lors du procès.He was declared innocent in the trial.
- L'accusé est déclaré non coupable.The accused is declared not guilty.
- Son intention était pure et innocente.His intention was pure and innocent.
- Je te dis, je suis pas coupable !I'm telling you, I'm not guilty!
- Elle n'est pas fautive dans cette situation.She is not at fault in this situation.
- Ne t'inquiète pas, tu n'as rien fait de mal.Don't worry, you have done nothing wrong.
- 158 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a legal case on the news.
- LucasPenses-tu qu'il soit innocent ?Do you think he is innocent?
- ChloéOui, je suis sûre qu'il est innocent.Yes, I am sure that he is innocent.
- LucasLe juge a dit qu'il était innocent.The judge said that he was innocent.
- ChloéC'est une excellente nouvelle pour Lucas.That is excellent news for Lucas.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “innocent” translations and entries innocent, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries innocent, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
