pauvre
/povʁ/
The English word 'poor' is translated into French as pauvre.
pauvre is a versatile adjective that can describe material and social poverty, or mean 'poor' in the sense of compassion or sympathy. Like in English, 'pauvre' can describe both a lack of financial resources and a lack of quality or character (e.g., 'un pauvre résultat'). Other ways to express different levels of hardship include misérable, which carries a stronger connotation of misery and suffering, describing someone in extreme poverty or appalling conditions or the formal démuni(e), which means 'destitute' or 'needy' and emphasizes extreme poverty.
Meaning: with few or no possessions or money (adj)
Which one should you use?
The adjective pauvre is used for the singular form, while pauvres is used when referring to the poor people of a society or the world collectively, the poor class of a society (noun) or when making the adjective plural.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
As a singular adjective, pauvre is invariable in gender, meaning the spelling remains the same for both masculine and feminine singular nouns. To make the adjective plural, you add an 's' to the end to form pauvres.
How do you pronounce it?
/povʁ/
When do people say it?
In French, using le pauvre or la pauvre as a standalone noun phrase is a common way to express sympathy for someone's misfortune, similar to 'poor thing' in English.
Did you know?
- In French, the word pauvre can be used as an intensifier to express frustration or annoyance, such as saying pauvre type to describe someone as a 'pathetic guy'.
- French speakers may use the phrase mon pauvre as a condescending remark, turning a word of sympathy into a way of belittling someone's efforts.
- French uses the expression être pauvre en to describe a lack of a specific quality or nutrient, such as pauvre en vitamines, which English would typically translate as 'low in'.
Examples in context
- Oh, la pauvre !Poor thing!This example shows how to express sympathy using the feminine form of pauvre.Tatoeba #7938921 by Micsmithel, translation #2701383 by mccarras
- Oh, le pauvre !Poor thing.This example shows how to express sympathy using the masculine form of pauvre.Tatoeba #7938923 by Micsmithel, translation #5856507 by JohnKnaphus
- Le pauvre petit !Poor little boy!This example uses pauvre to describe a small child with sympathy.Tatoeba #4705271 by thowas, translation #4705274 by thowas
- Il vit dans un quartier où de nombreuses familles sont démunies.He lives in a neighborhood where many families are destitute.
- Les enfants pauvres du village ont besoin de notre aide.The poor children of the village need our help.
- Les réfugiés ont trouvé un abri même dans les conditions les plus misérables.The refugees found shelter even in the most miserable conditions.
- Il a tout perdu et vit maintenant comme un clodo dans la rue.He lost everything and now lives like a homeless person on the street.
- Je ne peux pas sortir ce soir, je suis complètement fauché.I can't go out tonight, I'm completely broke.
- Il a perdu son emploi et est maintenant dans la dèche.He lost his job and now he's in a tough spot.
- 393 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a person's difficult financial situation.
- EmmaEst-il vraiment pauvre ?Is he really poor?
- GabrielOui, il est très pauvre.Yes, he is very poor.
- EmmaC'est triste pour lui.That is sad for him.
- GabrielIl a besoin d'aide.He needs help.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “poor” translations and entries pauvre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
