Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| proxénète | /pʁɔk.se.nɛt/ | |
| souteneur | /sut.nœʁ/ | masculine |
| maquereau | /ma.kʁo/ | masculine |
| mac | /mak/ | masculine |
All provided terms refer to a person who acts as a solicitor of prostitutes. Related verbs include prostituer, meaning to prostitute someone, while maquereller and maquereauter specifically mean to act as a procurer of prostitutes.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the context and tone: proxénète is the standard term, souteneur and maquereau are masculine nouns and mac is a slang variant. While maquereau is informal, mac is specifically used in street parlance or pop culture.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Proxénète is the formal, legal and administrative term. Maquereau is an informal and often derogatory term, whereas mac is a common slang term.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Proxénète is used in various French-speaking regions.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
souteneur, maquereau and mac are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
The word proxénète is pronounced /pʁɔk.se.nɛt/ and consists of 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The informal term maquereau is also the standard French word for a 'mackerel' fish. This shared name can lead to humorous or confusing double meanings in certain contexts.
- While proxénète is the formal term used by police and in law, it is a direct descendant of the Ancient Greek word 'proxenētēs', which originally referred to a 'protector' or 'representative' of a foreign city.
- The term souteneur comes from the verb soutenir, which means 'to support' or 'to sustain'. It implies that the pimp 'supports' the prostitute financially while exploiting them.
Examples in context
- T'es son mac ?Are you her pimp?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is a mac.Tatoeba #2186308 by sacredceltic, translation #1060191 by Mofli
- C'est un mac.He's a pimp.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as a mac.Tatoeba #14040858 by Myrano_, translation #12669566 by rul
- Le maquereau contrôle plusieurs prostituées dans son réseau.The pimp controls several prostitutes in his network.
- Il se comporte comme un vrai mac, exploitant les vulnérabilités des autres.He behaves like a true pimp, exploiting the vulnerabilities of others.
- Le proxénète a été arrêté hier.The pimp was arrested yesterday.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a crime report on the news.
- NathanTu as vu les infos sur ce proxénète ?Did you see the news about that pimp?
- ChloéOui, c'est vraiment un criminel.Yes, he is truly a criminal.
- NathanIl a été pris en flagrant délit.He was caught red-handed.
- ChloéLa police a fait du bon travail.The police did a good job.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pimp” translations and entries proxénète, souteneur, maquereau, mac, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries maquereau, proxénète, souteneur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
