pause
/poz/feminine
The English phrase "pause" translates to French as pause.
The noun pause refers to a temporary stop or rest. While pause can describe a momentary hesitation in speech, the idiomatic way to express taking a rest or a break from an activity is to use the phrase faire une pause.
Meaning: temporary stop or rest (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun pause is feminine, so it is preceded by articles such as une or la.
How do you pronounce it?
/poz/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb pauser to mean "to take a break". However, pauser is rarely used in this sense. Instead, use the standard phrase faire une pause.
Did you know?
- The French word pause shares a history with the Old French word pose, which was borrowed into Dutch as 'poos' to mean a period of time.
- In French, if you want to say 'press pause' on a remote, you use the phrase mettre sur pause, which literally means 'put on pause'.
- In a musical context, the French word pause has been used since the 14th century to indicate a rhythmic or melodic rest.
Examples in context
- Mettez le jeu en pause.Pause the game.This sentence is useful for learning how to use pause when referring to a game.Tatoeba #621437 by qdii, translation #621439 by qdii
- Faisons une courte pause.Let's take a short pause.This sentence demonstrates how to use pause when suggesting a short rest.Tatoeba #470967 by sacredceltic, translation #599698 by fliegster
- Faisons une pause. Je ne pourrai continuer plus longtemps.Let's take a pause. I cannot continue any longer.This sentence shows how to use pause when expressing the need to stop an activity.Tatoeba #3795142 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #3794135 by Eldad
- Attends, je vais prendre un break.Wait, I am going to take a break.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are studying together in a library.
- ChloéOn a travaillé pendant trois heures, Nathan.We have been working for three hours, Nathan.
- NathanC'est vrai, je commence à être fatigué.That's true, I'm starting to get tired.
- ChloéOn prend une pause de dix minutes ?Shall we take a ten-minute break?
- NathanOui, c'est une excellente idée !Yes, that's a great idea!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pause” translations and entries pause, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pause, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
