paragraphe
/pa.ʁa.ɡʁaf/masculine
The French word for paragraph is paragraphe. Wiktionary also lists alinéa.
Meaning: passage in text (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| paragraphe | /pa.ʁa.ɡʁaf/ | masculine |
| alinéa | /a.li.ne.a/ | masculine |
Both paragraphe and alinéa refer to a passage in a text.
Which one should you use?
While paragraphe is the standard word for a paragraph, alinéa is often used in legal or highly formal contexts to refer to a specific paragraph or sub-clause in a text.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word paragraphe is a masculine noun, so it uses masculine articles such as le or un.
How do you pronounce it?
/pa.ʁa.ɡʁaf/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an 'e' to the end of the word in English (paragraphe), but in French, the word is spelled paragraphe and ends with an 'e' (unlike the English 'paragraph').
Did you know?
- Historically, the paraphe mentioned as a relative of paragraphe was used to prevent fraud by ensuring no one could add extra lines to a legal paragraph.
- The word alinéa is a 'univerbation' of the Latin phrase ā līneā, which literally means 'from the line'.
- In some contexts, an alinéa refers specifically to the indentation at the start of a paragraph, rather than the entire block of text itself.
Examples in context
- Ce paragraphe est vague.This paragraph is vague.This sentence is useful for describing the quality of a paragraphe.Tatoeba #181659 by Aiji, translation #57952 by CM
- Raye le dernier paragraphe.Strike out the last paragraph.This sentence is useful for giving an instruction regarding a paragraphe.Tatoeba #11047510 by lbdx, translation #3060754 by sharptoothed
- Que signifie ce paragraphe ?What does this paragraph mean?This sentence is useful for asking about the meaning of a paragraphe.Tatoeba #6000242 by PERCE_NEIGE, translation #954536 by CK
- Dans son essai, l'auteur développe son argument principal en une succession de paragraphes clairs et cohérents.In his essay, the author develops his main argument through a series of clear and coherent paragraphs.
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are studying a textbook together.
- EmmaTu comprends ce paragraphe, Hugo ?Do you understand this paragraph, Hugo?
- HugoNon, ce paragraphe est trop compliqué.No, this paragraph is too complicated.
- EmmaJe vais t'aider à le lire.I will help you read it.
- HugoMerci beaucoup, Emma.Thank you very much, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paragraph” translations and entries paragraphe, alinéa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries alinéa, paragraphe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
