lieutenant
/ljøt.nɑ̃/
The English phrase lieutenant is lieutenant in French. If unsure, use lieutenant. Wiktionary also lists lieutenante.
Meaning: lowest commissioned officer rank (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| lieutenant | /ljøt.nɑ̃/ | |
| lieutenante | /ljøt.nɑ̃t/ | feminine, rare |
lieutenant is a noun used for the lowest commissioned officer rank. In the French army, commandant is a rank above lieutenant. The term can also be used as an adjective to describe a military grade, or combined with other ranks to form higher officer titles, such as lieutenant-colonel.
Which one should you use?
While lieutenant is the standard form, lieutenante is a feminine form used to refer to a female lieutenant.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form lieutenante is used to refer to a female lieutenant, though it is considered rare in many official contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ljøt.nɑ̃/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In historical French administration, a lieutenant was not always a soldier but could be a civil official acting as a deputy for a judge or a governor.
- The French term is a 'univerbation', meaning two separate words 'lieu' and 'tenant' fused together over time to form one noun.
- The concept of 'holding a place' found in lieutenant is also the root of the English word 'tenure', which describes the act of holding a position.
Examples in context
- Sami est devenu lieutenant-colonel.Sami became a lieutenant-colonel.This sentence shows how to use the form lieutenant in the context of a higher rank, lieutenant-colonel.Tatoeba #6572806 by GB3, translation #6571908 by OsoHombre
- Il fut rétrogradé au rang de lieutenant.He was demoted to the rank of lieutenant.This sentence demonstrates the use of the rank lieutenant.Tatoeba #808970 by sacredceltic, translation #678274 by darinmex
- Sami était lieutenant.Sami was a lieutenant.This sentence shows the use of the rank lieutenant in a past tense context.Tatoeba #6572807 by GB3, translation #6571907 by OsoHombre
- Excusez-moi, Monsieur, savez-vous où je pourrais trouver le lieutenant Lambert?Excuse me, Sir, do you know where I could find Lieutenant Lambert?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Léa are talking about Nathan's career progress in the army.
- NathanJe suis enfin lieutenant.I am finally a lieutenant.
- LéaFélicitations, Nathan, c'est mérité !Congratulations, Nathan, it is well deserved!
- NathanMerci, c'est une grande étape.Thank you, it is a big step.
- LéaJe suis très fière de toi.I am very proud of you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lieutenant” translations and entries lieutenant, lieutenante, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries lieutenant, lieutenante, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
