météorite
feminine
The English phrase "meteorite" is météorite in French.
The term météorite is a noun used to refer to the remains of a meteor.
Meaning: remains of a meteor (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the object and the phenomenon. While météorite refers to the physical object that has landed on Earth, météore refers to the phenomenon of the light streak seen in the sky.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine article une or the feminine adjective petite.
Did you know?
- The gender of météorite is feminine, but its root météore is masculine, which can lead to unexpected agreement changes when describing the same object's journey.
- While English uses 'meteor' for the streak of light and 'meteorite' for the rock, some French speakers colloquially use étoile filante to describe the visual event.
- The word météorite shares its Greek roots with the word for 'floating' or 'suspended' in the air, describing its journey through the atmosphere.
Examples in context
- Je pense avoir trouvé une météorite.I think I've found a meteorite.This sentence is useful for expressing the idea of finding a météorite.Tatoeba #3667971 by sacredceltic, translation #3667618 by Hybrid
- Le plus souvent, les gens qui observent les étoiles penseront avoir vu une météorite quand en réalité, ils ont juste vu un rocher banal.More often than not, stargazers will think they have found a meteorite while in reality they are just looking at an average rock.This sentence is useful for illustrating the distinction between a météorite and an ordinary rock.Tatoeba #13355718 by genes1s, translation #9471791 by Hybrid
- A cause de la friction qui se crée entre un météore et les gaz atmosphériques, la plupart des météores se consument complètement avant de heurter la surface de la Terre et de devenir des météorites.Due to the friction generated between a meteor and the atmospheric gases, most meteors burn up before hitting Earth's surface as a meteorite.This sentence is useful for explaining how a meteor becomes a météorite through atmospheric friction.Tatoeba #4099597 by sbamsbamsbam, translation #3955501 by Hybrid
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a news report about a space discovery.
- GabrielCette météorite est vraiment impressionnante.This meteorite is truly impressive.
- ManonElle est tombée dans le désert.It fell in the desert.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'elle est très lourde ?Is it very heavy?
- ManonOn ne sait pas encore.We don't know yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meteorite” translations and entries météorite, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
