île
/il/
The French word for 'isle' is île.
The word île refers to a piece of land that is completely surrounded by water.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of île is îles. Because île begins with a vowel, the definite article la elides to become l'île.
How do you pronounce it?
/il/
Did you know?
- The circumflex accent over the i in île is actually a 'ghost' of the letter 's' that used to stand there. This is why the English word 'isle' and the French île look so similar despite the spelling difference.
- In French urban planning, an îlot refers not only to a small island but also to a 'city block' surrounded by streets.
- If you are looking for a kitchen island in a French catalog, you should search for an île centrale. It is a common piece of furniture that shares the exact same name as a landmass in the ocean.
Examples in context
- Ils étaient abandonnés sur une île déserte.They were marooned on a desert isle.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use île in the context of being marooned.Tatoeba #817164 by sacredceltic, translation #610679 by darinmex
- La belle île est entourée par des eaux turquoise.The beautiful isle is surrounded by turquoise waters.
- Nous sommes allés explorer l'îlot au large de la côte.We went to explore the isle off the coast.
- Cette île est magnifique en été.This island is magnificent in summer.
- Nous avons pris un bateau pour l'île.We took a boat to the island.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are looking at a map together.
- HugoRegarde cette petite île sur la carte.Look at this little island on the map.
- ChloéElle a l'air très calme et isolée.It looks very calm and isolated.
- HugoOn peut y aller en bateau, Chloé.We can go there by boat, Chloé.
- ChloéOui, ce serait un voyage fantastique !Yes, that would be a fantastic trip!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry île, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries île, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
