Israël
/i.sʁa.ɛl/masculine
Israel in French is Israël.
Israël is the name of the state.
Meaning: the state (name)
Which one should you use?
While Israël is the standard name, L'État d'Israël is used to specifically emphasize the state aspect and the colloquialism Israël tout court can be used to mean "Israel simply" or "plain and simple".
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing being "in Israel", use the preposition en to say en Israël. When using the preposition de (meaning "of" or "from"), the 'e' is elided, resulting in d'Israël.
How do you pronounce it?
/i.sʁa.ɛl/. The word has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- French speakers use the preposition en for Israël, a rule usually reserved for feminine countries, even though Israël is treated as masculine in French grammar.
- The tréma over the 'ë' in Israël is a phonetic instruction. It tells the reader to pronounce the 'a' and the 'e' as two separate, distinct vowel sounds rather than blending them into a single sound.
- The word Israël in French is a loanword borrowed from the Hebrew יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Examples in context
- Je suis né en Israël.I was born in Israel.This sentence is useful for practicing the preposition en with Israël.Tatoeba #3249165 by Aiji, translation #3249149 by nava
- Israël est un grand pays.Israel is a great country.This sentence shows how to use Israël as the subject of a sentence.Tatoeba #12264443 by Rovo, translation #10050567 by Igider
- Je n'ai jamais visité Israël.I've never visited Israel.This sentence demonstrates the use of Israël in a negative construction.Tatoeba #12264485 by Rovo, translation #12204139 by Miktsoanit
- Le président d'Israël a prononcé un discours émouvant lors de la conférence.The President of Israel delivered a moving speech at the conference.
- Les relations entre la France et l'État d'Israël sont solides.The relationship between France and the State of Israel is strong.
- J'ai adoré mes vacances en Israël !I loved my vacation in Israel!
- Israël tout court, c'est un pays fascinant.Israel simply is a fascinating country.
- 57 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Hugo are discussing their travel plans.
- ManonTu veux aller en Israël cet été ?Do you want to go to Israel this summer?
- HugoOui, j'aimerais beaucoup visiter Israël.Yes, I would really like to visit Israel.
- ManonC'est une excellente idée, Hugo.That is an excellent idea, Hugo.
- HugoOn peut réserver les billets ensemble.We can book the tickets together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “israel” translations and entries Israël, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Israël, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
