correspondant
/kɔ.ʁɛs.pɔ̃.dɑ̃/masculine
In French, the term for pen pal is correspondant.
A correspondant is a friend with whom one communicates using letters. While correspondant refers specifically to the person, the word correspondance is used to describe the act of writing to them or the relationship itself.
Meaning: friend with whom one communicates using letters (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun changes based on gender and number: use correspondante for a feminine pen pal, correspondants for masculine plural pen pals and correspondantes for feminine plural pen pals.
How do you pronounce it?
/kɔ.ʁɛs.pɔ̃.dɑ̃/. The word has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the term correspondant is also used in the professional world to mean a 'correspondent' for a news agency or a journalist reporting from a specific location.
- French schools often organize correspondance scolaire, where entire classrooms are paired with a school in another country to practice their language skills.
- Historically, the term correspondant was often used to describe people who exchanged high-level intellectual or scientific findings through letters before the advent of modern journals.
Examples in context
- Je veux un correspondant.I want a pen pal.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to have a correspondant.Tatoeba #1264384 by sacredceltic, translation #1264323 by CK
- Il a une correspondante en Russie.He has a pen pal in Russia.This sentence is useful for describing someone who has a correspondant in Russia.Tatoeba #7905108 by felix63, translation #12818171 by rul
- J'ai un correspondant en Australie.I have a pen pal in Australia.This sentence is useful for stating that you have a correspondant in Australia.Tatoeba #5702640 by Aiji, translation #5193190 by CK
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are talking in a school hallway.
- NathanTu as un nouveau correspondant ?Do you have a new pen pal?
- EmmaOui, il est très sympathique.Yes, he is very friendly.
- NathanD'où vient ton correspondant ?Where does your pen pal come from?
- EmmaIl vient du Canada.He comes from Canada.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pen pal” translations and entries correspondant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
