intéressant
/ɛ̃.te.ʁɛ.sɑ̃/
The English phrase "interessant" is translated into French as intéressant.
Depending on the intensity you wish to convey, you might use other words: Captivant expresses that something is fascinating or captivating, Passionnant means something is highly engaging or exciting and Fascinant expresses a sense of fascination or intrigue. For a playful and exaggerated way to express utmost interest or fascination, you can use Intéressantissime.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes based on the gender and number of the noun it describes: use intéressante for the feminine singular, intéressants for the masculine plural and intéressantes for the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /ɛ̃.te.ʁɛ.sɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- If a French person describes a person as intéressé, it does not mean they are interesting, but rather that they are mercenary or only acting out of self-interest.
- While 'interesting' in English is mostly a positive adjective, in French, intéressant can specifically refer to a financial advantage, such as a 'good deal' or a profitable price.
- In French, the word intéressant is a common way to express polite skepticism. If a French speaker responds to your idea with a short, flat C’est intéressant, they might actually mean they find it unconvincing or strange.
Examples in context
- L'étude que vous avez menée est très intéressante.The study that you conducted is very interesting.
- Le spectacle était intéressantissime, je n'ai jamais rien vu de semblable!The show was mind-blowingly interesting, I've never seen anything like it!
- Ce livre est très intéressant.This book is very interesting.
- C'est un sujet intéressant.It is an interesting subject.
- Votre projet semble intéressant.Your project seems interesting.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Manon are discussing a documentary at a cafe.
- GabrielAs-tu vu ce documentaire ? C'est vraiment intéressant.Did you see this documentary? It is really interesting.
- ManonNon, mais il a l'air très intéressant.No, but it looks very interesting.
- GabrielJe te le conseille vivement.I highly recommend it to you.
- ManonMerci, je vais le regarder ce soir.Thanks, I will watch it tonight.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry intéressant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
