mer Méditerranée
/mɛʁ me.di.tɛ.ʁa.ne/feminine
The English phrase "mediterranean sea" is translated into French as mer Méditerranée. Wiktionary also lists Méditerranée.
Meaning: sea between Europe and Africa (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mer Méditerranée | /mɛʁ me.di.tɛ.ʁa.ne/ /mɛʁ me.di.te.ʁa.ne/ |
feminine |
| Méditerranée | /me.di.tɛ.ʁa.ne/ /me.di.te.ʁa.ne/ |
feminine |
mer Méditerranée refers to the sea located between Europe and Africa. In common usage, the word mer is often omitted and the name is used alone as la Méditerranée. In poetic or artistic contexts, you may encounter the term La Grande Bleue (the Big Blue).
Which one should you use?
The phrase mer Méditerranée uses a proper noun to name the specific sea, whereas mer méditerranéenne uses an adjective to describe a sea that is Mediterranean in character.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is feminine and is preceded by the definite article la, as in la mer Méditerranée.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /mɛʁ me.di.tɛ.ʁa.ne/. It has 5 syllables.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- L'Algérie borde la Mer Méditerranée.Algeria borders the Mediterranean Sea.This sentence uses mer Méditerranée to show geographical bordering.Tatoeba #12495062 by always, translation #12106758 by Amastan
- Les Vikings ont parcouru la majeure partie de l'Atlantique Nord avant d'entrer en mer Méditerranée.The Vikings sailed most of the North Atlantic before entering the Mediterranean sea.This sentence uses mer Méditerranée to describe a route of travel.Tatoeba #861117 by U2FS, translation #860811 by U2FS
- La Méditerranée est si bleue et belle !The Mediterranean Sea is so blue and beautiful!This sentence uses Méditerranée to describe the beauty of the sea.Tatoeba #13734428 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13734427 by Ioan_Cristian
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are looking at a map in a bookstore.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'on voit la mer Méditerranée sur cette carte ?Can we see the Mediterranean Sea on this map?
- ChloéOui, elle se trouve juste en dessous de l'Europe.Yes, it is located just below Europe.
- GabrielC'est une très grande zone.It is a very large area.
- ChloéEffectivement, elle est magnifique sur le papier.Indeed, it is beautiful on paper.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mediterranean sea” translations and entries mer Méditerranée, Méditerranée, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Méditerranée, mer, mer Méditerranée, méditerranée, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
