littérature
/li.te.ʁa.tyʁ/feminine
The English word literature is translated into French as littérature.
littérature is the most general and widely used term for literature in French.
Meaning: body of all written works (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has four syllables: /li.te.ʁa.tyʁ/.
Did you know?
- The word littérature can be used ironically in French to describe a long, winded or overly ornate way of speaking to avoid getting to the point.
- The term littérature grise refers to 'grey literature', which consists of reports, working papers, and documents produced by government or industry that are not published commercially.
- A person who is highly educated in littérature and the humanities is often called a littéraire, a term that defines a personality type or academic track in the French school system.
Examples in context
- Ziri aime la littérature.Ziri loves literature.This sentence shows how to express a person's love for littérature.Tatoeba #10910166 by Amastan, translation #10222859 by Amastan
- Il est prix Nobel de littérature.He's a Nobel Prize winner for literature.This sentence illustrates the use of littérature in the context of a Nobel Prize.Tatoeba #804006 by U2FS, translation #8589765 by sundown
- Il étudie la littérature moderne.He is studying modern literature.This sentence demonstrates how to describe a specific field, such as modern littérature.Tatoeba #5798199 by Toynop, translation #5796996 by Herobane
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are talking in a university library.
- LucasTu aimes la littérature française ?Do you like French literature?
- EmmaOui, c'est ma passion.Yes, it is my passion.
- LucasEmma, tu étudies la littérature à l'université ?Emma, do you study literature at the university?
- EmmaOui, je suis passionnée par la littérature.Yes, I am passionate about literature.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “literature” translations and entries littérature, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
