amérindien
/a.me.ʁɛ̃.djɛ̃/
The English phrase 'native american' is translated into French as amérindien.
The word can be used as both a noun (a Native American) and an adjective (Native American culture).
Meaning: person (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, the term Autochtone is commonly used to refer to indigenous peoples.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form amérindien is the masculine singular form. Use amérindienne for the feminine singular, amérindiens for the masculine plural and amérindiennes for the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/a.me.ʁɛ̃.djɛ̃/
Did you know?
- In French, the word 'Indien' on its own almost always refers to someone from India, whereas in English, 'Indian' was historically used for Native Americans.
- In Canada, the French term Premières Nations is used specifically to distinguish the diverse group of indigenous peoples from the Métis and Inuits.
- Because amérindien is a compound of 'Amérique' and 'Indien', it follows different capitalization rules in French than English proper nouns.
Examples in context
- Et si j'étais un Amérindien ?What if I am a Native American?This sentence uses the form amérindien.Tatoeba #2032557 by Amastan, translation #2032555 by Amastan
- Tom est un Amérindien.Tom is a Native American.Tatoeba #3226754 by Dreamk33, translation #1517949 by Spamster
- Les Amérindiens ont une riche et complexe histoire culturelle.Native Americans have a rich and complex cultural history.
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing a history book.
- NathanCe livre parle d'un célèbre amérindien.This book is about a famous Native American.
- ChloéLequel ? Je ne connais pas son nom.Which one? I don't know his name.
- NathanC'est un leader amérindien du dix-neuvième siècle.He is a Native American leader from the nineteenth century.
- ChloéÇa a l'air très intéressant, Nathan.That sounds very interesting, Nathan.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry amérindien, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
