personne
/pɛʁ.sɔn/feminine
The French word for person is personne.
Personne refers specifically to a human being. It is also used in the idiomatic phrase en personne, which means in person or personally.
Meaning: specifically a human being (noun)
Which one should you use?
As a noun meaning person, personne is always feminine, even when the individual being referred to is a man.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec French, the term le monde is often used to refer to people.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used with the negation particle ne, personne changes meaning to mean no one or nobody.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 2 syllables and is pronounced /pɛʁ.sɔn/.
Did you know?
- The Latin root of personne refers to a 'mask' worn by actors in theater. This reflects the ancient idea of a 'persona' being the role or character a person projects to the world.
- In legal French, personne morale describes a 'legal entity' like a corporation. It treats a company as a 'moral person' with its own rights and duties.
- While personne is used for a general human, the word individu is often used in French to sound more clinical, cold or police-like, as if the person is a specimen.
Examples in context
- Il est venu en personne.He came in person.This sentence shows the use of personne in the idiom meaning in person.Tatoeba #134725 by sacredceltic, translation #317728 by CK
- Qui est cette personne ?Who is that person?This sentence uses personne to ask who a specific person is.Tatoeba #380237 by sysko, translation #450137 by CK
- C’est une vraie personne.That's a real person.This sentence uses personne to describe a real person.Tatoeba #402773 by qdii, translation #402770 by FeuDRenais
- Cette personne est très gentilleThis person is very kind
- L'individu en question n'a pas été identifiéThe individual in question has not been identified
- Ce gars est vraiment drôleThis guy is really funny
- Je connais un type qui peut réparer çaI know a guy who can fix that
- Je vois du monde à la fête ce soirI'll see people at the party tonight
- 791 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are talking about a new colleague.
- ManonC'est une personne très gentille.She is a very kind person.
- GabrielJe suis d'accord avec toi.I agree with you.
- ManonElle est une personne sérieuse aussi.She is a serious person too.
- GabrielC'est bien pour l'équipe.That is good for the team.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “person” translations and entries personne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries personne, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
