congé de maternité
/kɔ̃.ʒe d(ə) ma.tɛʁ.ni.te/
The English phrase "maternity leave" is congé de maternité in French.
The term refers to a leave of absence (noun).
Meaning: leave of absence (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of congé (leave/time off), de (of) and maternité (maternity).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Québec, le congé de maternité is the used term. In Switzerland, les allocations maternité is used specifically to refer to the financial benefits of maternity leave.
How does it change in a sentence?
To say that someone is "on" maternity leave, use the preposition en before the phrase, as in en congé de maternité. While congé is typically used in the singular to refer to the period of leave, the plural congés de maternité can be used when referring to multiple instances of leave.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /kɔ̃.ʒe d(ə) ma.tɛʁ.ni.te/. It has 5 syllables.
Did you know?
- The word congé descends from the Latin 'commeātus', which referred to the right of a soldier to leave their camp for a short period.
- In French, the word congé can also be used as a verb in the phrase donner congé, meaning to fire someone or terminate a lease.
- In the world of architecture, the word congé describes a smooth curve or fillet that creates a transition between two surfaces.
Examples in context
- Mary est en congé de maternité.Mary is on maternity leave.This sentence shows how to use congé de maternité to say someone is on leave.Tatoeba #4654372 by thowas, translation #2997372 by CK
- Alice est toujours en congé de maternité.Alice is still on maternity leave.Tatoeba #10245251 by felix63, translation #10259857 by bekindtoall
- Je prends mon congé maternitéI am taking my maternity leave
- Elle commence son congé de maternité demain.She starts her maternity leave tomorrow.
Example conversation
Chloé and Gabriel are talking about a colleague at work.
- ChloéEst-ce que Julie est déjà partie ?Has Julie left already?
- GabrielNon, elle prend son congé de maternité la semaine prochaine.No, she is taking her maternity leave next week.
- ChloéAh, je vois. C'est bientôt le moment !Ah, I see. It is almost time!
- GabrielOui, elle est très impatiente.Yes, she is very impatient.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “maternity leave” translations and entries congé de maternité, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries congé, de, maternité, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
