écart salarial
masculine
The English phrase "pay gap" can be translated into French as écart salarial. If unsure, use écart salarial. Wiktionary also lists écart de rémunération.
Meaning: difference in salaries between one group and another (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | Note |
|---|---|
| écart salarial | masculine |
| écart de rémunération | masculine |
The term refers to the difference in salaries between one group and another. To specify the "gender pay gap", French speakers typically add entre hommes et femmes (between men and women) after the noun phrase, resulting in écart salarial entre hommes et femmes.
What does it mean word for word?
The term écart salarial is composed of écart (gap/difference) and salarial (relating to salary).
Which one should you use?
écart de rémunération is a broader and more formal term than écart salarial. This is because rémunération can include bonuses and benefits beyond just base salary.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, it is common to hear the term écart de salaire to discuss the pay gap.
Did you know?
- The word salaire comes from the Latin 'salarium', which was originally money given to Roman soldiers to buy 'sal' (salt).
- The word écart can also be used in French to describe a 'lapse' in behavior or a 'deviation' from a diet, far beyond the context of money.
- The root of écart is écarter, which means to push aside or move something away from a center point.
Examples in context
- le problème de l'écart salarialThe issue of the pay gap
- les disparités salarialesWage disparities
- Il y a un grand écart salarial entre les hommes et les femmesThere is a huge pay gap between men and women
- combattre l'écart salarialFighting the pay gap
- réduire les inégalités salarialesReducing wage inequalities
- L'écart salarial entre les hommes et les femmes persiste.The pay gap between men and women persists.
- Le gouvernement veut réduire l'écart salarial.The government wants to reduce the pay gap.
- Cet écart salarial est vraiment inacceptable.This pay gap is truly unacceptable.
Example conversation
Two colleagues are discussing company statistics in an office.
- ManonAs-tu vu les nouveaux chiffres sur l'écart salarial ?Did you see the new figures regarding the pay gap?
- NathanOui, il est encore trop élevé dans notre secteur.Yes, it is still too high in our sector.
- ManonC'est un problème que nous devons traiter vite.It is a problem that we must address quickly.
- NathanJe suis tout à fait d'accord avec toi.I completely agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pay gap” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, rémunération, salarial, écart, CC BY-SA 4.0.
