Juif
/ʒɥif/masculine
The French word for Jew is Juif.
The word Juif refers to a member or descendant of the Jewish people. In French, when the word is used as an adjective to describe something (such as a Jewish book), it is not capitalized.
Meaning: member or descendant of the Jewish people (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form changes based on gender and number. Use the feminine form juive for a Jewish woman and the feminine plural juives for Jewish women. For the masculine plural or a mixed group, use juifs. Additionally, when used as an adjective, the word is not capitalized.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʒɥif/
Did you know?
- The word Juif is a linguistic 'back-formation' because the masculine form was actually created later from the feminine form juive in Old French.
- In French, the phrase le quartier juif refers to the Jewish quarter, but in some cities, the term le Pletzl is used informally to describe the historic Jewish heart of the community.
- Historically, the term juif was often paired with the word errant in French literature to describe the 'wandering Jew', a myth that became a widespread cultural trope in France.
Examples in context
- Il est juif séfarade.He's a Sephardic Jew.This sentence is useful for identifying a Sephardic Jew using Juif.Tatoeba #2339154 by sacredceltic, translation #2337522 by Hybrid
- Il est juif ashkénaze.He's an Ashkenazi Jew.This sentence is useful for identifying an Ashkenazi Jew using Juif.Tatoeba #2339156 by sacredceltic, translation #2337520 by Hybrid
- Il était heureux d'être juif.He was happy being a Jew.This sentence is useful for expressing the sentiment of being a Jew using juif.Tatoeba #1211168 by sacredceltic, translation #298520 by CM
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are discussing a historical documentary.
- HugoCe documentaire parle de la vie d'un Juif en Italie.This documentary talks about the life of a Jew in Italy.
- ChloéC'est un sujet très intéressant, Hugo.That is a very interesting subject, Hugo.
- HugoOui, l'histoire de ce Juif est vraiment touchante.Yes, the story of this Jew is truly touching.
- ChloéJe vais regarder ça aussi.I am going to watch that too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jew” translations and entries Juif, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries juif, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
