Notre Père
/nɔ.tʁə pɛʁ/masculine
Notre Père is the French way to say 'our father', specifically referring to the Lord's Prayer.
The term is used to name the religious prayer or to refer to God the Father. While it translates to 'our father', its meaning changes based on how it is written.
Meaning: Lord's Prayer (name)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of Notre, meaning 'our' and Père, meaning 'father'.
Which one should you use?
The capitalized form Notre Père is used for religious contexts, such as the Lord's Prayer or God the Father. In contrast, the lowercase version notre père is used when referring to a biological or human father.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to a human father, the word père should not be capitalized.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɔ.tʁə pɛʁ/
Did you know?
- While Notre Père is the name of the prayer, French speakers often use the phrase dire un Pater in casual conversation, using the original Latin word instead of the French translation.
- During the French Revolution, some radical groups attempted to replace the Notre Père with secular prayers to the 'Supreme Being' to remove the focus on a divine father.
- In French culture, the Notre Père is often recited in a rhythmic, chanted style during traditional funerals, which differs from the spoken cadence used in Sunday services.
Examples in context
- Notre Père, qui es aux cieux.Our Father, who art in Heaven.This sentence shows the start of the Lord's Prayer using Notre Père.Tatoeba #6636215 by GB3, translation #6635820 by Reonaato
- Nous ne connaissons pas notre père.We don't know our father.Tatoeba #11821008 by Rovo, translation #8086265 by maaster
- Nous sommes aussi grandes que notre père.We're as tall as our father.Tatoeba #2286669 by Amastan, translation #13082912 by rul
- Notre Père qui es aux cieuxOur Father, who art in heaven
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Chloé are discussing which prayer to recite at church.
- NathanEst-ce qu'on commence par le Notre Père ?Do we start with the Lord's Prayer?
- ChloéOui, c'est la tradition ici.Yes, it is the tradition here.
- NathanJe vais réciter le Notre Père alors.I will recite the Lord's Prayer then.
- ChloéC'est parfait, Nathan.That is perfect, Nathan.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “our father” translations and entries Notre Père, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
