Joseph
/ʒo.zɛf/
The English name Joseph is translated into French as Joseph. Wiktionary also lists José.
Meaning: male given name (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph | /ʒo.zɛf/ | |
| José | /ʒo.ze/ | masculine |
Joseph is a male given name.
Which one should you use?
Joseph is the standard form, while José is also a masculine form of the name.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of Joseph is /ʒo.zɛf/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In some historical French regions, Joseph was frequently paired with Marie for boys, creating a double name reflecting both the earthly and spiritual fathers.
- Although Joseph is the standard French form, the variant José actually originated as an old French vernacular form of the name.
- The name appears in French history through Napoleon's brother, Joseph Bonaparte, who was briefly installed as the King of Spain.
Examples in context
- Jésus, Marie et Joseph !Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!This example shows Joseph used in an interjection.Tatoeba #8734255 by Julien_PDC, translation #5936171 by Chaiya
- Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier est né en 1811 à Saint-Lô, en France.Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier was born in 1811 at Saint-Lô, France.This sentence shows Joseph as part of a full name.Tatoeba #8731580 by Julien_PDC, translation #3961140 by Hybrid
- Joseph établit son père et ses frères et leur donna droit de propriété dans le pays d’Égypte, dans le meilleur territoire, celui de Ramsès, comme l’avait ordonné Pharaon. Joseph nourrit son père, ses frères et toute la maison de son père, donnant des vivres selon les besoins de chaque famille.And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families.This sentence shows Joseph as a subject in a biblical context.Tatoeba #8589675 by Micsmithel, translation #7909340 by carlosalberto
- Joseph est mon ami.Joseph is my friend.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a mutual acquaintance at a cafe.
- ChloéTu as vu Joseph aujourd'hui ?Have you seen Joseph today?
- HugoNon, je ne l'ai pas vu.No, I haven't seen him.
- ChloéJoseph devait venir nous rejoindre.Joseph was supposed to join us.
- HugoIl est peut-être en retard.He might be late.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “joseph” translations and entries Joseph, José, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Joseph, José, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
