Mali
/ma.li/
Mali is the French name for the country Mali in Western Africa.
Meaning: a country in Western Africa (name)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /ma.li/.
Did you know?
- The name Mali is often linked by historians to the Manding word for 'hippopotamus', an animal that was once a symbol of power in the region.
- While 'Mali' refers to the country, the French word mal (pronounced similarly) means 'pain' or 'evil', which can lead to phonetic confusion in spoken wordplay.
- In French-speaking West Africa, the name Mali is often associated with the historical glory of the Mali Empire, which was once one of the wealthiest in the world.
Examples in context
- La Russie est au Mali.Russia is in Mali.This sentence shows the location of Russia in relation to Mali.Tatoeba #12493421 by always, translation #10987455 by Amastan
- Le Mali a sombré dans le chaos.Mali went into chaos.This sentence describes a state of chaos within Mali.Tatoeba #12493424 by always, translation #11066854 by Amastan
- La France se retirera bientôt du Mali.France will be withdrawing from Mali.This sentence describes the withdrawal of France from Mali.Tatoeba #12493435 by always, translation #10987454 by Amastan
- J'ai toujours rêvé d'explorer le Mali.I have always dreamt of exploring Mali.
- Sa famille vit au Mali.His/Her family lives in Mali.
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about traveling in Africa.
- HugoTu veux aller au Mali ?Do you want to go to Mali?
- LéaNon, je préfère visiter le Sénégal.No, I prefer to visit Senegal.
- HugoLe Mali est un pays magnifique.Mali is a magnificent country.
- LéaC'est vrai, mais c'est loin.That's true, but it is far.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mali” translations and entries Mali, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
