playboy
The French word for playboy is playboy.
The term playboy refers to a man who devotes himself to pleasure.
Meaning: man who devotes himself to pleasure (noun)
Which one should you use?
While playboy is used for a man devoted to pleasure, other terms exist depending on the nuance: Séducteur refers to someone skilled in winning people's affections and Don Juan refers to a legendary seducer and lover of women. In more casual contexts, Tombeur describes someone who easily conquers hearts and Dragueur denotes someone who actively engages in flirting and seduction.
Did you know?
- The word dragueur comes from the word for a dredging machine used to clear the bottom of a river, suggesting the act of 'fishing' for a partner.
- The term tombeur literally means 'one who knocks down', imagining the target of affection falling over in love.
- While an English speaker might use 'player' to describe a man like this, using the French word joueur to mean the same thing would be a mistake, as it literally refers to someone playing a game or an instrument.
Examples in context
- Tom était une sorte de playboy.Tom was a bit of a playboy.This sentence shows how to use playboy in a description.Tatoeba #4588212 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #4588194 by Amastan
- Il se comporte comme un véritable séducteur, toujours à la recherche de conquêtes.He behaves like a true seducer, always in search of conquests.
- Jérôme est réputé pour être un tombeur auprès des femmes.Jérôme is known to be a ladies' man.
- Ce jeune playboy aime faire la fête.This young playboy loves to party.
- Il se comporte comme un véritable playboy.He behaves like a true playboy.
Example conversation
Lucas and Léa are discussing a mutual acquaintance.
- LucasTu connais Marc ? C'est un playboy.Do you know Marc? He's a playboy.
- LéaJe sais, il change de copine tout le temps.I know, he changes girlfriends all the time.
- LucasIl ne pense qu'à s'amuser.He only thinks about having fun.
- LéaC'est typique d'un playboy comme lui.That's typical for a playboy like him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry playboy, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
