Pâque
/pak/feminine
The English phrase "passover" can be translated into French as Pâque or Pessah.
Meaning: one-day Biblical feast or festival during which the firstborn sons of the Israelites were passed over by God while those of the Egyptians were killed, Jewish festival of Pesach (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pâque | /pak/ /pɑk/ |
feminine |
| Pessah | masculine |
The word refers to the Biblical festival during which the firstborn sons of the Israelites were passed over by God.
Which one should you use?
Pâque is the standard French word for the Christian holiday Easter. To avoid confusion with Easter, the term Pessah is used specifically when referring to the Jewish holiday of Passover.
How does it change in a sentence?
Pâque is a feminine noun, while Pessah is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pak/
Did you know?
- The word Pâque is the root for the French word pascal, which is a common given name in France.
- In historical French texts, you may see Pâques written in the plural, even when referring to the single event of the festival.
- The term Pessah is a direct phonetic borrowing from Hebrew, whereas Pâque is the traditional European way of naming the holiday.
Examples in context
- Bonne Pâque !Happy Passover!This sentence is useful for expressing a greeting using Pâque.Tatoeba #9025551 by Micsmithel, translation #8665677 by shekitten
- C'est le moment de l'année auquel les gens se réunissent avec leur famille et leurs amis pour célébrer Pessa'h et fêter la Pâques.This is a time of year when people get together with family and friends to observe Passover and to celebrate Easter.This sentence is useful for describing the gathering of people to celebrate both Pessa'h and Pâque.Tatoeba #899242 by sacredceltic, translation #897923 by BHO
- Tu viens chez moi pour Pessah cette année?Are you coming to my place for Passover this year?
- La Pâque est une fête très importante.Passover is a very important festival.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are discussing their upcoming holiday plans.
- HugoEst-ce que tu fêtes la Pâque avec ta famille ?Are you celebrating Passover with your family?
- EmmaOui, nous organisons un grand dîner ensemble.Yes, we are organizing a big dinner together.
- HugoC'est super, je vous souhaite une joyeuse Pâque !That's great, I wish you a happy Passover!
- EmmaMerci beaucoup, Hugo !Thank you very much, Hugo!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “passover” translations and entries Pâque, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
