obéissance
/ɔ.be.i.sɑ̃s/feminine
Obedience in French is obéissance.
The noun obéissance refers to the quality of being obedient. To express the concept of obedience to a person or an authority, use the phrase obéissance à. You can use the expression faire preuve d'obéissance to mean "to show obedience." Other related concepts include obéir à quelqu'un (to obey someone) and se soumettre (to submit or to comply).
Meaning: quality of being obedient (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
obéissance is a feminine noun. This means that any adjectives accompanying it must be in the feminine form, such as in the phrase une obéissance aveugle (blind obedience).
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 4 syllables and is pronounced /ɔ.be.i.sɑ̃s/.
Did you know?
- French has the expression obéir au doigt et à l'œil, which literally means to obey 'by the finger and the eye', describing absolute and instant obedience.
- In French Catholic tradition, the vœu d'obéissance is one of the three solemn vows taken by monks and nuns, alongside poverty and chastity.
- While English uses 'obedience' as a general quality, French often uses the reflexive verb s'obéir in specific literary contexts to describe a person who obeys their own internal instincts.
Examples in context
- J'exige une obéissance aveugle.I demand unquestioning obedience.This sentence shows how to use obéissance to describe demanding a specific type of obedience.Tatoeba #10825498 by lbdx, translation #10805958 by ddnktr
- Leur culture met en exergue l'obéissance envers les détenteurs de l'autorité.Their culture values obedience to those in positions of authority.This sentence demonstrates how obéissance is used to describe valuing obedience toward authority figures.Tatoeba #950461 by sacredceltic, translation #950159 by darinmex
- Le devoir d'une fille est dans l'obéissance.The duty of a daughter is in obedience.This sentence illustrates how obéissance can be used to describe a person's duty.Tatoeba #916729 by Scott, translation #1260080 by Scott
- Il a étudié avec obéissanceHe studied with obedience
- Ils ont montré une grande soumissionThey displayed great obedience
- Il a fait preuve d'obéissance en suivant les règlesHe showed obedience by following the rules
- Les enfants doivent obéir à leurs parentsChildren must obey their parents
- Nous devons nous soumettre aux règles établiesWe must obey the established rules
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan is training his new puppy with Chloé.
- NathanLe chiot a besoin de cours d'obéissance.The puppy needs obedience classes.
- ChloéC'est vrai, il n'écoute rien pour l'instant.That's true, he doesn't listen to anything right now.
- NathanL'obéissance est essentielle pour sa sécurité.Obedience is essential for his safety.
- ChloéJe vais chercher un bon dresseur.I will look for a good trainer.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “obedience” translations and entries obéissance, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
