doctorat
In French, PhD is translated as doctorat.
doctorat refers to the highest academic degree awarded by a university. To express that someone is currently pursuing or doing a PhD, French speakers commonly use the phrase faire un doctorat. When referring specifically to the research paper or dissertation required for the degree, use thèse de doctorat.
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the degree and the person. While doctorat refers to the academic degree itself, docteur refers to the person who holds the degree or a medical doctor.
How does it change in a sentence?
doctorat is a masculine noun and is typically used with the definite article le (le doctorat).
Did you know?
- French universities distinguish between a doctorat and an HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches), which is a higher qualification required to supervise other PhD students.
- In French, one does not 'defend' a PhD in the sense of fighting for it, but rather soutient une thèse, which literally means to 'support' or 'uphold' the thesis.
- The word doctorat shares a root with the English word 'doctor', both deriving from the Latin 'docere', which means 'to teach'.
Examples in context
- Votre thèse de doctorat doit être écrite en anglais.Your PhD thesis has to be written in English.This sentence shows how to use doctorat when discussing the language of a PhD thesis.Tatoeba #4217926 by sacredceltic, translation #4198315 by CK
- Avec un doctorat, chaque réunion se transforme en rendez-vous médical.If you have a PhD, every meeting you go to is a doctor's appointment.This sentence uses doctorat in a humorous context regarding meetings.Tatoeba #10781365 by Micsmithel, translation #10754715 by DJ_Saidez
- Martine avait travaillé dans un chaîne de télévision locale pendant que son mari préparait son doctorat de psychologie.Martine had been working for a local TV channel while her husband was completing a PhD in psychology.This sentence demonstrates the use of doctorat when describing someone's studies in a specific field.Tatoeba #3388344 by Ginette, translation #3388609 by sundown
- Elle a obtenu son doctorat en philosophie à l'Université de Paris.She obtained her PhD in Philosophy at the University of Paris.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their career goals in a cafe.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu veux faire un doctorat ?Do you want to do a PhD?
- EmmaOui, je prépare mon doctorat en biologie.Yes, I am preparing my PhD in biology.
- GabrielC'est un projet très ambitieux, Emma.That is a very ambitious project, Emma.
- EmmaMerci, Gabriel, j'espère réussir.Thanks, Gabriel, I hope to succeed.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
