Jacques
/ʒak/masculine
The English name Jacob can be translated into French as Jacques or Jacob.
Meaning: male given name (the standard form) (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jacques | /ʒak/ /ʒɑk/ |
masculine |
| Jacob | /ʒa.kɔb/ | masculine |
The phrase refers to a masculine given name. In contemporary French, Jacques is the standard name used for people in everyday life.
Which one should you use?
While Jacques is the standard form for the name in daily use, Jacob is specifically used when referring to the name in biblical contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒak/
Did you know?
- In French history, the term les Jacques was used to describe the peasants who rose up in a massive rebellion against the nobility in 1358.
- The French name Jacques is a linguistic relative of the English name 'James'. Both evolved from the same Latin root Iācōbus.
- French has a specific term for a 'simpleton' or 'country bumpkin' called un Jacques, stemming from the name's historical association with the peasantry.
Examples in context
- Daniel est le fils unique de Jacob.Daniel is the only child of Jacob.This sentence shows the use of Jacob in a familial context.Tatoeba #2340283 by martin9, translation #1686172 by gleki
- Et Jacob trompa Laban, l’Araméen, en ne l’avertissant pas de sa fuite.And Jacob would not confess to his father-in-law that he was flying away.This sentence illustrates the use of Jacob in a biblical narrative regarding Laban.Tatoeba #8088479 by Micsmithel, translation #7827039 by carlosalberto
- Jacob répondit, et dit à Laban : J’avais de la crainte à la pensée que tu m’enlèverais peut-être tes filles.Jacob answered: That I departed unknown to thee, it was for fear lest thou wouldst take away thy daughters by force.This sentence provides an example of Jacob speaking in a biblical context.Tatoeba #8088495 by Micsmithel, translation #7827728 by carlosalberto
- Salut, Jacob!Hi, Jacob!
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about a mutual friend.
- LéaEst-ce que Jacques vient à la fête ?Is Jacques coming to the party?
- GabrielOui, il arrive dans dix minutes.Yes, he is arriving in ten minutes.
- LéaSuper, j'ai hâte de voir Jacques !Great, I can't wait to see Jacques!
- GabrielMoi aussi, ça fait longtemps.Me too, it has been a long time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jacob” translations and entries Jacques, Jacob, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Jacques, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
