Internet
/ɛ̃.tɛʁ.nɛt/masculine
The English phrase internet is Internet in French.
Internet refers to the specific global network of computers. Related terms include le site web for website and le courriel for email.
Meaning: specific internet consisting of the global network of computers (name)
Which one should you use?
While Internet is the standard term, you may encounter several variations depending on the context and register. Le net and le web are informal ways to refer to the internet, as is la toile, which is particularly common among younger speakers.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the form l'Internet is sometimes used with a capital letter.
How does it change in a sentence?
Internet is a masculine noun. In formal or traditional French, the definite article l’ is often used before the word. However, when expressing that something is located online, French speakers typically omit the article and say sur Internet instead of sur l'Internet.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛ̃.tɛʁ.nɛt/
Did you know?
- The French word la toile refers to the internet but literally means 'the canvas' or 'the cloth' as well as 'the web'.
- In official French administrative or legal documents, you may encounter the term le cyberespace instead of Internet.
- French differentiates between the global network Internet and the world wide web le web, though they are often used interchangeably in casual speech.
Examples in context
- Tous sur Internet !All over the Internet!This sentence shows how to use Internet to express something being all over the network.Tatoeba #1541809 by martin9, translation #7356759 by Eccles17
- Il est sur Internet.He is on the Internet.This sentence demonstrates the common usage of Internet when saying someone is online.Tatoeba #4949219 by sacredceltic, translation #3378269 by _undertoad
- Internet est très lent.Internet is very slow.This sentence shows how to use Internet as the subject of a sentence to describe its speed.Tatoeba #1689044 by Micsmithel, translation #1689028 by shanghainese
- Sais-tu comment utiliser la toile pour rechercher des emplois ?Do you know how to use the web to search for jobs?
- 169 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Emma are discussing a project at home.
- NathanOù as-tu trouvé cette information ?Where did you find this information?
- EmmaJe l'ai cherchée sur Internet.I looked for it on the Internet.
- NathanEst-ce que c'est un site fiable ?Is it a reliable site?
- EmmaOui, c'est le meilleur site sur Internet.Yes, it is the best site on the Internet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “internet” translations and entries Internet, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
