métis
/me.tis/
The French phrase for mixed race is métis.
The term is used to describe a person who has parents from different racial or ethnic backgrounds.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is métis. The feminine form is métisse, and the feminine plural form is métisses.
How do you pronounce it?
/me.tis/
Did you know?
- In Canada, the term Métis refers specifically to a distinct indigenous people with a unique culture, rather than just a general description of mixed ancestry.
- The word métis is a cognate of the Spanish 'mestizo' and Portuguese 'mestiço', reflecting the shared Latin roots of these colonial languages.
- While métis refers to race, the word can also be used in a metaphorical sense in literature to describe a 'mixed' or 'hybrid' style of art or thought.
Examples in context
- Elle est métisse.She is of mixed race.
- Ce jeune homme a une identité métisse.This young man has a mixed race identity.
- Elle est une personne d'origine mixte.She is a person of mixed origin.
- Elle est à moitié française, à moitié ivoirienne.She is half French, half Ivorian.
- Mon ami est à moitié japonais, à moitié sénégalais.My friend is half Japanese, half Senegalese.
- Il est métis.He is mixed race.
- Son père est métis.His father is mixed race.
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are talking about their family backgrounds.
- EmmaTes parents sont de pays différents ?Are your parents from different countries?
- NathanOui, je suis métis.Yes, I am mixed race.
- EmmaC'est super, Nathan !That's great, Nathan!
- NathanMerci, Emma.Thank you, Emma.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry métis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries métis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
