infirmière
/ɛ̃.fiʁ.mjɛʁ/feminine
The French word for nurse is infirmière. Wiktionary also lists infirmier.
Meaning: person trained to provide care for the sick (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| infirmière | /ɛ̃.fiʁ.mjɛʁ/ | feminine |
| infirmier | /ɛ̃.fiʁ.mje/ | masculine |
Both forms of the word refer to a person trained to provide care for the sick.
Which one should you use?
Use infirmière when referring to a female nurse and infirmier when referring to a male nurse.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is gender-marked: use infirmière for a female nurse and infirmier for a male nurse.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɛ̃.fiʁ.mjɛʁ/ (3 syllables)
Did you know?
- While English uses 'nurse' for both the profession and the act of caring, the verb infirmer in French does not mean to nurse, but rather to invalidate or deny a claim.
- In historical contexts, the infirmier was often a religious figure in a monastery or convent responsible for the sick.
- In French hospitals, nurses are often called IDE as an abbreviation for infirmier diplômé d'État, meaning state-certified nurse.
Examples in context
- Ma sœur est infirmière.My sister is a nurse.This sentence shows how to state a sibling's profession using infirmière.Tatoeba #6889293 by GB3, translation #2779109 by CK
- Je veux être infirmière.I want to be a nurse.This sentence expresses a career aspiration using infirmière.Tatoeba #6689 by TRANG, translation #256727 by CK
- Sa fille est infirmière.His daughter is a nurse.This sentence identifies a daughter's profession using infirmière.Tatoeba #3660838 by sacredceltic, translation #287603 by CK
- J'ai besoin d'une infirmière, s'il vous plaît.I need a nurse, please.
- Merci beaucoup à l'infirmier qui s'est occupé de moi.Thank you very much to the nurse who took care of me.
- Les infirmières fournissent des soins essentiels aux patients.Nurses provide essential care to patients.
- 107 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are talking about Chloé's job at the hospital.
- GabrielTu es infirmière à l'hôpital ?Are you a nurse at the hospital?
- ChloéOui, je suis infirmière depuis deux ans.Yes, I have been a nurse for two years.
- GabrielC'est un métier difficile, non ?It is a difficult job, isn't it?
- ChloéC'est fatigant, mais j'aime beaucoup mon travail.It is tiring, but I like my work a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nurse” translations and entries infirmière, infirmier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
