parfait
/paʁ.fɛ/
The English word "perfect" is translated into French as parfait.
parfait is an adjective meaning excellent and delightful in all respects. While it is a common translation for "perfect", other French terms can nuance this meaning: impeccable implies a state of faultlessness and sans défaut literally translates to "without fault". In certain contexts, parfait can also function as a noun to refer to the dessert known as a parfait.
Meaning: excellent and delightful in all respects (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
Use parfait for masculine singular, parfaite for feminine singular, parfaits for masculine plural and parfaites for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /paʁ.fɛ/ with two syllables.
Did you know?
- In a religious context, le Parfait was used in the Cathar heresy of the Middle Ages to describe a member who had reached a state of spiritual purity.
- In French, parfait is the name for a specific frozen dessert, but unlike the English 'parfait' which is often layered in a glass, the traditional French version is a frozen custard that is often molded and sliced.
- In French grammar, the passé composé is the most common past tense, but there is also a plus-que-parfait tense used to describe an action that happened before another past action.
Examples in context
- Tu es parfaite !You're perfect!Tatoeba #10044117 by Micsmithel, translation #9194595 by DJ_Saidez
- Il a été parfait.He was perfect.Tatoeba #1706497 by sacredceltic, translation #1690700 by Spamster
- Tu es si parfait.You're so perfect.Tatoeba #8954284 by Aiji, translation #2218389 by CK
- C'est parfait !That's perfect!
- Sa tenue est impeccableHer outfit is perfect
- Le document est sans défautThe document is perfect
- C'était parfait, merci !It was perfect, thank you!
- Oui, elle est impeccable !Yes, it's perfect!
- 371 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are tasting a cake they baked together.
- ManonGoûte ça, Nathan !Taste this, Nathan!
- NathanOh, c'est vraiment parfait.Oh, it is truly perfect.
- ManonLe sucre est bien dosé ?Is the amount of sugar right?
- NathanOui, le goût est parfait.Yes, the taste is perfect.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry parfait, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
