Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| océan Pacifique | /ɔ.se.ɑ̃ pa.si.fik/ | masculine |
| Pacifique | /pa.si.fik/ | masculine |
océan Pacifique is the name for the world's largest body of water. You can also use specific directional terms to describe parts of it, such as L'océan Pacifique Nord for the northern part, l'océan Pacifique Sud for the southern part and l'océan Pacifique ouest for the western part.
Which one should you use?
In French, the word océan is a common noun and is written in lowercase, whereas the specific name Pacifique is capitalized. This differs from English, where 'Ocean' is often capitalized as part of the proper name.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to 'the Pacific Ocean', you must use the definite article l' before océan because océan starts with a vowel. Additionally, while Pacifique is capitalized as part of the proper name l'océan Pacifique, the word pacifique would not be capitalized if used as a general adjective.
Did you know?
- The name Pacifique shares an identical root with the French word for a 'peaceful' person or a 'peace-making' gesture, reflecting the explorer Ferdinand Magellan's intent to name the waters after the calm conditions he encountered.
- In French, a person who is peaceful is described as pacifique, but someone who actively opposes war is called a pacifiste.
- The word pacifique is used in French to describe a docile animal or a non-violent action, completely independent of the océan Pacifique.
Examples in context
- Tom a découvert l'océan Pacifique.Tom discovered the Pacific Ocean.This sentence is useful for showing someone discovered the océan Pacifique.Tatoeba #6863741 by GB3, translation #6863732 by Eccles17
- Ce fleuve se jette dans l'océan Pacifique.This river flows into the Pacific Ocean.This sentence is useful for describing a river flowing into the océan Pacifique.Tatoeba #1432506 by martin9, translation #3073621 by Tappity
- Il a traversé l'océan Pacifique en voilier.He crossed the Pacific Ocean in a sailboat.This sentence is useful for describing crossing the océan Pacifique in a sailboat.Tatoeba #13215779 by lbdx, translation #293322 by CM
- L'océan Pacifique Sud abrite de magnifiques récifs coralliens.The South Pacific Ocean is home to magnificent coral reefs.
- 8 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are looking at a world map.
- ManonOù se trouve l'océan Pacifique ?Where is the Pacific Ocean?
- NathanIl est entre l'Asie et l'Amérique.It is between Asia and America.
- ManonC'est l'océan Pacifique le plus grand ?Is the Pacific Ocean the largest?
- NathanOui, c'est le plus vaste du monde.Yes, it is the largest in the world.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pacific ocean” translations and entries océan Pacifique, Pacifique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pacifique, océan, pacifique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
