paresseux
/pa.ʁɛ.sø/
The English phrase 'lazy' is translated into French as paresseux. Wiktionary also lists fainéant.
Meaning: unwilling to work (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| paresseux | /pa.ʁɛ.sø/ /pa.ʁe.sø/ |
| fainéant | /fɛ.ne.ɑ̃/ /fe.ne.ɑ̃/ |
The word is used to describe someone or something that is unwilling to work. In casual spoken French, instead of using an adjective, people often say avoir la flemme to express that they are feeling lazy.
Which one should you use?
paresseux is a standard adjective for laziness. In contrast, fainéant often carries a stronger connotation of being a 'do-nothing' or an idler.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
fainéant is more colloquial and can be used more pejoratively than paresseux. flemmard is a slang term used to describe lazy people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of paresseux is paresseuse. The feminine form of fainéant is fainéante.
How do you pronounce it?
/pa.ʁɛ.sø/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- The phrase avoir la flemme comes from the word flemme, which is a slang shortening of phlegme. In old medical theory, an excess of phlegm was thought to cause lethargy.
- In French, paresseux is also the name for the 'sloth', the world's slowest mammal.
- The word fainéant actually comes from the verb feindre, meaning 'to fake'. It originally described someone who fakes being busy to avoid work.
Examples in context
- Tu es trop fainéant.You're too lazy.This sentence uses fainéant to describe someone as being too lazy.Tatoeba #8571265 by Aiji, translation #7920464 by AlanF_US
- Le chat est paresseux.The cat is lazy.This sentence uses paresseux to describe a lazy cat.Tatoeba #2031190 by sacredceltic, translation #2030110 by Spamster
- Tom est-il paresseux ?Is Tom lazy?This sentence uses paresseux to ask if Tom is lazy.Tatoeba #6877615 by GB3, translation #6877490 by CK
- Il est paresseuxHe is lazy
- Arrête d'être fainéantStop being lazy
- Il est paresseux comme un loirHe is as lazy as a dormouse
- Elle est extrêmement flemmardeShe is extremely lazy
- Elle est paresseuseShe is lazy
- Ils sont paresseuxThey are lazy
- Il est très paresseuxHe is very lazy
- J'ai passé une journée paresseuse à la maisonI had a lazy day at home
- 107 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are at home on a Sunday afternoon.
- ChloéTu es très paresseux aujourd'hui.You are very lazy today.
- LucasJe ne suis pas paresseux, je me repose.I am not lazy, I am resting.
- ChloéIl faut ranger le salon.We need to tidy the living room.
- LucasOn fera ça demain.We will do that tomorrow.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lazy” translations and entries paresseux, fainéant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fainéant, paresseux, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
