Jésus
/ʒe.zy/masculine
The English name Jesus is translated into French as Jésus.
Jésus is used to refer to the religious figure. You may also see the related phrase doux Jésus used as a mild expletive or interjection, similar to saying 'goodness gracious' in English.
Meaning: religious figure (name)
Which one should you use?
Jésus-Christ and Le Christ are more formal ways to refer to the religious figure than the standard Jésus.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
While Jésus is the standard name, Jésus-Christ and Le Christ are considered formal. The expression doux Jésus is used in an informal context as a mild interjection.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a proper noun, Jésus is a masculine noun and is always capitalized.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ʒe.zy/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word sacré in expressions like sacré Jésus doesn't mean 'holy' in a religious sense, but acts as an intensifier similar to 'quite a' or 'damn'.
- In French literature, referring to a character simply as le Christ can sometimes imply a person who is a martyr or a symbol of suffering rather than just the religious figure.
- The French Jésus descends from the Latin Iēsūs, which was adapted from the Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς and originally from the Hebrew y'hoshúa.
Examples in context
- Qui était Jésus ?Who was Jesus?This sentence is useful for asking about the identity of Jésus.Tatoeba #8734251 by Julien_PDC, translation #8271530 by Amastan
- Que ferait Jésus ?What would Jesus do?This sentence is useful for posing a hypothetical question regarding Jésus.Tatoeba #7373130 by Rockaround, translation #2470839 by Hybrid
- Sami a suivi Jésus.Sami followed Jesus.This sentence is useful for describing someone following Jésus.Tatoeba #8734250 by Julien_PDC, translation #7307418 by OsoHombre
- Nous croyons en Jésus-ChristWe believe in Jesus Christ
- L'enseignement du Christ est profondément inspirantThe teachings of Christ are deeply inspiring
- Jésus aime tout le mondeJesus loves everyone
- La vie de Jésus est racontée dans la BibleThe life of Jesus is recounted in the Bible
- Jésus a marché sur l'eauJesus walked on water
- La crucifixion de Jésus a eu lieu le Vendredi SaintThe crucifixion of Jesus took place on Good Friday
- Jésus est né à BethléemJesus was born in Bethlehem
- 104 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a classical painting in a museum.
- GabrielEst-ce que c'est Jésus sur cette peinture ?Is that Jesus in this painting?
- LéaOui, c'est une représentation de Jésus.Yes, it is a representation of Jesus.
- GabrielIl a l'air très serein, Jésus.Jesus looks very serene.
- LéaC'est vrai, l'artiste a bien réussi.That's true, the artist did a good job.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “Jesus” translations and entries Jésus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Jésus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
