peintre
/pɛ̃tʁ/feminine, masculine
The French word for painter is peintre. If unsure, use peintre. Wiktionary also lists artiste peintre and peintresse.
Meaning: artist (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| peintre | /pɛ̃tʁ/ | feminine, masculine |
| artiste peintre | feminine, masculine | |
| peintresse | feminine |
The context of your sentence will determine which type of professional is being discussed.
Which one should you use?
While peintre is the most common way to say painter, you may see artiste peintre used to specifically emphasize the artistic nature of the person. The form peintresse is a feminine form used specifically for a female painter.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun peintre is epicene, which means the spelling of the word does not change whether you are referring to a male or a female subject. However, if you use the specific feminine form peintresse, it is used only for females.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛ̃tʁ/
Did you know?
- French speakers often use the phrase peintre en bâtiment to specify that someone is a professional decorator or house painter.
- The word peintre is an etymological cousin of the English word 'picture', as both derive from the Latin 'pictor'.
- While peintresse is a valid feminine form, it is rarely used in modern conversation and can sound archaic or overly formal to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- Le peintre mourut jeune.The painter died young.This sentence is useful for describing the death of a peintre.Tatoeba #614243 by U2FS, translation #49193 by CK
- Ce peintre est un génie.That painter is a genius.This sentence is useful for describing a peintre as a genius.Tatoeba #5403324 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #6759661 by Micsmithel
- Tom est un peintre doué.Tom is a gifted painter.This sentence is useful for describing a gifted peintre.Tatoeba #6154120 by felix63, translation #5821153 by CK
- Le musée d'art moderne a invité plusieurs peintres français renommés pour exposer leurs œuvres.The modern art museum invited several renowned French painters to exhibit their works.
- Mon amie Anne est devenue une artiste-peintre talentueuse après ses études à l'école des Beaux-Arts.My friend Anne has become a talented painter after her studies at the School of Fine Arts.
- Nous avons fait appel à un peintre en bâtiment pour refaire la façade de notre maison.We called a house painter to redo the facade of our house.
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are visiting an art gallery.
- HugoQui est le peintre de ce tableau ?Who is the painter of this painting?
- ManonC'est une peintre très connue.She is a very well-known painter.
- HugoJe trouve son style magnifique.I find her style magnificent.
- ManonMoi aussi, elle est talentueuse.Me too, she is talented.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “painter” translations and entries peintre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries artiste, peintre, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
