paysan
/pɛ.i.zɑ̃/masculine
The French word for peasant is paysan. Wiktionary also lists paysanne.
Meaning: member of the agriculture low class (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| paysan | /pɛ.i.zɑ̃/ /pe.i.zɑ̃/ |
masculine |
| paysanne | /pɛ.i.zan/ /pe.i.zan/ |
feminine |
A paysan is a member of the agriculture low class, often referring to a peasant or a small-scale farmer.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is derived from pays, which means country or land, making it literally a land-dweller.
Which one should you use?
While paysan refers to a peasant or small-scale farmer, agriculteur is a more modern, professional term for a farmer.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is paysan. When referring to a female peasant, use the feminine form paysanne.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛ.i.zɑ̃/
Did you know?
- The word paysan shares an ancient linguistic root with païen, the French word for 'pagan'. This suggests a historical link between rural dwellers and those who followed non-Christian beliefs.
- The word paysanne is also used in French gastronomy to describe a style of cooking, such as omelette paysanne, which typically means the dish is hearty and contains rustic vegetables.
- French has a specific expression, sens paysan, which translates to 'peasant sense'. It describes a type of practical, intuitive wisdom that comes from working the land rather than formal education.
Examples in context
- Je ne suis qu'un pauvre paysan.I'm nothing but a poor peasant.This sentence is useful for expressing a sense of low social status using paysan.Tatoeba #6877145 by Micsmithel, translation #6873075 by CK
- Je ressemble à un vieux paysan.I look like an old peasant.This sentence is useful for describing physical appearance using paysan.Tatoeba #8420852 by Aiji, translation #3472270 by AlanF_US
- Ce que le paysan ne connaît pas, il ne le mange pas.What the peasant does not know, he does not eat.This sentence illustrates a proverb or folk wisdom regarding the habits of a paysan.Tatoeba #6297196 by felix63, translation #11551919 by samir_t
- Les paysans jouent un rôle essentiel dans la production alimentaire.Peasants play an essential role in food production.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Nathan are visiting a historical village museum.
- EmmaRegarde ce costume traditionnel de paysan.Look at this traditional peasant costume.
- NathanC'était une vie très dure pour un paysan.It was a very hard life for a peasant.
- EmmaOui, ils travaillaient beaucoup aux champs.Yes, they worked a lot in the fields.
- NathanC'est fascinant d'apprendre tout cela, Emma.It's fascinating to learn all this, Emma.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peasant” translations and entries paysan, paysanne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries paysan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
