latin
/la.tɛ̃/masculine
latin is the French word for the English phrase latin.
The word is used as a name for the language of the ancient Romans or as an adjective meaning of the language.
Meaning: language of the ancient Romans (name)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the language as a noun, it is almost always preceded by the definite article le.
Did you know?
- In French, the word latin is used in the idiom c'est du latin to describe something that is completely incomprehensible, similar to the English phrase 'it is Greek to me'.
- French speakers use the expression le latin de cuisine to describe a superficial or basic knowledge of the language, often used for those who only know a few phrases.
- While English speakers use 'Latin' to refer to the ancient language, French speakers use the adjective latin to describe things like 'les pays latins' (the Latin countries) to group together various Mediterranean cultures.
Examples in context
- Je sais le latin.I know Latin.This sentence is useful for saying that you know latin.Tatoeba #5545390 by sacredceltic, translation #5236558 by CarpeLanam
- Connais-tu le latin ?Do you know Latin?This sentence is useful for asking if someone knows latin.Tatoeba #1834793 by sacredceltic, translation #725904 by Eldad
- Sais-tu parler latin ?Can you speak Latin?This sentence is useful for asking if someone can speak latin.Tatoeba #2186394 by nimfeo, translation #13431038 by Adelpa
- Je suis en train d'étudier le latin.I am studying Latin.
- Paul est passionné par le latin.Paul is passionate about Latin.
- J'ai étudié le latin pendant mes années universitaires.I studied Latin during my college years.
- Le latin, c'est sympa à apprendre!Latin is fun to learn!
- 107 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Chloé are discussing their university courses.
- LucasTu étudies le latin ce semestre ?Are you studying Latin this semester?
- ChloéNon, je préfère étudier le grec.No, I prefer studying Greek.
- LucasLe latin est pourtant très intéressant.Latin is nevertheless very interesting.
- ChloéC'est vrai, mais c'est trop difficile pour moi.That's true, but it is too difficult for me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “latin” translations and entries latin, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
