kelvin
/kɛl.vɛ̃/masculine
The English phrase "kelvin" is kelvin in French.
Meaning: SI temperature unit (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of kelvin is kelvins.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kɛl.vɛ̃/ and has two syllables.
When do people say it?
In everyday situations in French, it is customary to refer to temperatures in Celsius.
Did you know?
- While kelvin is the official unit, French speakers never say 'degrés kelvin' (kelvin degrees). Using the word 'degré' with kelvin is considered a scientific error in France.
- In France, the 'Bureau international des poids et mesures' (BIPM), which manages the kelvin standard, is headquartered in Sèvres, just outside Paris.
- Because kelvin is a proper name, French scientific etiquette dictates that it should not be capitalized when used as a unit, unlike the English 'Kelvin'.
Examples in context
- La température est de zéro kelvin.The temperature is zero kelvin.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a physics problem in class.
- ChloéLucas, est-ce que le résultat est en kelvin ?Lucas, is the result in kelvin?
- LucasOui, Chloé, c'est l'unité requise ici.Yes, Chloé, it is the required unit here.
- ChloéJe dois donc convertir les degrés Celsius.So I must convert the degrees Celsius.
- LucasExactement, ajoute simplement deux cent soixante-treize.Exactly, just add two hundred seventy-three.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kelvin” translations and entries kelvin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
