persan
/pɛʁ.sɑ̃/masculine
The French word for Persian is persan.
persan refers to the Persian language.
Meaning: Persian language (name)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the language itself as a noun, use the masculine definite article le persan. The adjective persan becomes persane when modifying a feminine noun. For more formal contexts, you can use Langue persane to mean "Persian language".
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /pɛʁ.sɑ̃/.
Did you know?
- When French speakers discuss the 'Persian' empire in a historical context, they use the term Empire perse rather than Empire persan.
- In French, if you call a woman persane, you are describing her nationality, whereas calling her une Persane with a capital 'P' specifically identifies her as a person of Persian descent.
- In French literary tradition, the term persan is famously associated with the 'Lettres persanes' by Montesquieu, a satire used to critique French society from an outsider's perspective.
Examples in context
- Je lis du persan.I am reading Persian.This sentence shows how to use persan when referring to the language being read.Tatoeba #1460639 by sacredceltic, translation #1460055 by piksea
- Longue vie au persan !Long live the Persian language!This sentence uses persan to express a wish for the Persian language.Tatoeba #5897174 by AnastasijaN, translation #513906 by mahdiye
- Ziri est un chrétien de langue persane.Ziri is a Persian-speaking Christian.This sentence shows the feminine form persane modifying a noun.Tatoeba #11245342 by Rovo, translation #13594613 by rul
- J'ai rencontré un professeur de littérature perse aujourd'hui.I met a Persian literature professor today.
- Je cherche des cours de langue persane.I am looking for Persian language classes.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing language learning over coffee.
- LucasEst-ce que tu apprends le persan ?Are you learning Persian?
- ManonOui, je trouve le persan magnifique.Yes, I find Persian beautiful.
- LucasC'est une langue très difficile.It is a very difficult language.
- ManonC'est vrai, mais j'adore pratiquer le persan.True, but I love practicing Persian.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “persian” translations and entries persan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
