mineur
/mi.nœʁ/masculine
The English phrase 'minor' is translated into French as mineur.
As a noun, mineur refers to a person who is below the legal age of majority. The word can also be used as an adjective to describe something that is lesser in importance or to describe a musical scale containing a minor third.
Meaning: someone below the legal age of majority (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on the gender and number of the subject: mineur is the masculine singular form, mineure is the feminine singular form, mineurs is the masculine plural form and mineures is the feminine plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
mineur is pronounced /mi.nœʁ/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- The French language uses the same word mineur for both a person under the legal age and a worker in a coal mine. This creates a playful linguistic coincidence where one can describe an underage miner as un mineur mineur.
- While mineur describes a person below the legal age, the word moindre is the adjective used to express 'lesser' or 'smaller' in most qualitative contexts.
- In French law, a mineur can become an émancipé through a legal process. This allows them to act as a legal adult and manage their own affairs before they actually reach the age of majority.
Examples in context
- Tom n'est pas mineur.Tom isn't a minor.This sentence uses mineur to state that someone is not a minor.Tatoeba #6485047 by GB3, translation #6484901 by CK
- C'est un pépin mineur.It's a minor glitch.This sentence uses mineur to describe a minor glitch.Tatoeba #10720972 by lbdx, translation #3619085 by CK
- C'est un détail mineur.That's a minor detail.This sentence uses mineur to describe a minor detail.Tatoeba #6716774 by Aiji, translation #3528441 by CK
- Mon frère est encore mineur, donc il ne peut pas voter.My brother is still a minor, so he can't vote.
- Les personnes mineures doivent être accompagnées d'un adulte.Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
- Je ne peux pas sortir tard le soir, je ne suis pas encore majeure.I can't go out late at night, I'm not of legal age yet.
- Il est interdit de vendre de l'alcool aux mineurs.It is forbidden to sell alcohol to minors.
- Les mineurs doivent présenter une autorisation parentale pour participer à l'événement.Minors must provide parental permission to participate in the event.
- Tu ne peux pas voir ce film, tu n'es pas encore majeur.You can't see this movie, you're not of legal age yet.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing an age restriction at a cinema.
- GabrielEst-ce qu'il est mineur ?Is he a minor?
- LéaOui, il est mineur.Yes, he is a minor.
- GabrielAlors, il ne peut pas voir ce film.Then, he cannot see this movie.
- LéaC'est vrai, c'est dommage pour lui.That's true, it's a shame for him.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “minor” translations and entries mineur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
