comédie musicale
/kɔ.me.di my.zi.kal/feminine
The English word 'musical' (referring to a stage performance, show or film) is comédie musicale in French.
comédie musicale is a noun used to describe a musical stage performance, show or film.
Meaning: stage performance, show or film (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term comédie musicale literally translates to 'musical comedy'.
Related words
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the adjective 'musical' as a noun to mean a stage show, whereas in French, the noun for the show is comédie musicale.
Did you know?
- Because comédie refers to any play in a broad sense, a comédie musicale is categorized by its music rather than whether the plot is actually funny.
- The word comédie comes from the Ancient Greek word kōmōidía, which combined a word for 'revel' or 'carousing' with a word for 'song'.
- The French musical theatre scene is heavily influenced by the opérette, a lighter form of opera that paved the way for the modern comédie musicale.
Examples in context
- Les Misérables est une célèbre comédie musicale qui a captivé le public dans le monde entier.Les Misérables is a famous musical that has captivated audiences worldwide.
- Le spectacle musical de ce soir est incroyablement divertissant !Tonight's musical show is incredibly entertaining!
- Ce film est plutôt une comédie musicale qu'une comédie traditionnelle.This movie is more of a musical than a traditional comedy.
- J'aime beaucoup cette comédie musicale.I really like this musical.
- La comédie musicale commence à vingt heures.The musical starts at eight p.m.
- C'est une comédie musicale très célèbre.It is a very famous musical.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing plans for an evening out.
- HugoTu veux aller voir une comédie musicale ?Do you want to go see a musical?
- ChloéOui, j'adore les comédies musicales !Yes, I love musicals!
- HugoIl y en a une super à Paris.There is a great one in Paris.
- ChloéParfait, réservons nos billets vite.Perfect, let's book our tickets quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “musical” translations and entries comédie musicale, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comédie, CC BY-SA 4.0.
