orchestre
/ɔʁ.kɛstʁ/masculine
The English word orchestra is translated into French as orchestre.
orchestre refers to a large group of musicians who play various instruments together.
Meaning: large group of musicians who play together on various instruments (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables and is pronounced /ɔʁ.kɛstʁ/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an 'a' sound at the end of the word.
Did you know?
- In a theater, the word orchestre refers not to the musicians but to the area of seating on the ground floor in front of the stage.
- In Ancient Greek, the ancestor of orchestre did not refer to the musicians, but rather to the circular space where the chorus danced.
- While English refers to the 'conductor' as the leader, French uses chef d'orchestre, which literally translates to 'chief of the orchestra'.
Examples in context
- L'orchestre a bien joué.The orchestra played well.This sentence is useful for describing how the orchestre played.Tatoeba #1498197 by martin9, translation #8829360 by deniko
- L'orchestre commença à jouer.The orchestra began to play.This sentence is useful for saying that the orchestre began to play.Tatoeba #6452620 by Aiji, translation #4665727 by CK
- L'orchestre couvre la voix du chanteur.The orchestra is drowning out the singer's voice.This sentence is useful for describing how the orchestre is drowning out a singer's voice.Tatoeba #10207147 by lbdx, translation #4132323 by chelita2
- L'orchestre interprète des œuvres classiques éblouissantes.The orchestra performs dazzling classical works.
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are attending a classical concert.
- HugoL'orchestre est magnifique ce soir, n'est-ce pas ?The orchestra is magnificent tonight, isn't it?
- ManonOui, je trouve que l'orchestre joue très bien.Yes, I think the orchestra is playing very well.
- HugoQuel instrument préfères-tu dans l'orchestre ?Which instrument do you prefer in the orchestra?
- ManonJ'aime beaucoup les violons de l'orchestre.I really like the orchestra's violins.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “orchestra” translations and entries orchestre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries orchestre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
