How to Say "Mirage" in French

mirage

/mi.ʁaʒ/masculine

The English word "mirage" is translated into French as mirage.

The word refers to an optical phenomenon.

Meaning: an optical phenomenon (noun)

How does it change in a sentence?

The word is a masculine noun. The plural form is mirages, created by adding an 's', which is silent in pronunciation.

/mi.ʁaʒ/

The word mirage shares a linguistic ancestor with the English word 'mirror'. Both trace back to the Latin 'mirari', which means 'to wonder at'.
The verb mirer, which is the base of mirage, is still used in some French dialects to mean 'to aim' a weapon or a tool.
In French literature, the mirage is a recurring motif in colonial narratives about the Sahara. It often symbolizes the duality of the desert as both a place of beauty and a lethal trap.

Le bonheur est un mirage.
Happiness is a mirage.
This sentence uses mirage to illustrate a metaphorical use of the word regarding happiness.
Tatoeba #4767832 by dafp, translation #10693001 by AlanF_US
L'eau sur la route était seulement un mirage.
The water on the road was just a mirage.
This sentence uses mirage to illustrate a literal use of the word regarding an optical illusion on a road.
Tatoeba #5243060 by sicerabibax, translation #5243053 by AlanF_US
J'ai lu un article très intéressant sur les mirages dans le désert.
I read a fascinating article about mirages in the desert.
Il y avait un magnifique mirage d'eau sur le lac ce matin.
There was a stunning water mirage on the lake this morning.
Ce reflet dans le désert est un mirage.
This reflection in the desert is a mirage.

Gabriel and Léa are hiking in a hot, dry area.

Gabriel

Est-ce que tu vois ce lac au loin ?
Do you see that lake in the distance?
Léa

Non, je pense que c'est un mirage.
No, I think it is a mirage.
Gabriel

Tu as raison, la chaleur joue des tours.
You are right, the heat is playing tricks.
Léa

Continuons de marcher, Gabriel.
Let's keep walking, Gabriel.

Sources

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