pape
/pap/masculine
The English word "pope" is translated into French as pape.
The term refers to the head of the Roman Catholic Church.
Meaning: head of the Roman Catholic Church (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the Pope as a specific title, the definite article le is required, as in le pape.
How do you pronounce it?
/pap/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Because of the spelling, English speakers might be tempted to pronounce a silent 'e' at the end. However, the final 'e' is silent and the word ends strictly on the 'p' sound.
Did you know?
- The phrase C'est le pape qui l'a dit is occasionally used in French to describe a statement that is considered an absolute, indisputable truth.
- While pape refers to the religious leader, French uses the term papesse to refer to a female pope, a word that gained attention during discussions about the legendary Pope Joan.
- The French word pape shares a common ancestor with the English word 'papa', as both stem from the Greek word for 'father'.
Examples in context
- Tom a assassiné le pape.Tom assassinated the Pope.This sentence shows the use of pape in the context of an assassination.Tatoeba #12055343 by Rovo, translation #12051134 by shekitten
- Nous n’avons pas de pape !We don't have a Pope!This sentence illustrates the use of pape in a negative statement.Tatoeba #13204524 by Rovo, translation #13204541 by Rovo
- Le pape est-il catholique ?Is the Pope Catholic?This sentence shows how to ask a question using pape.Tatoeba #1522249 by Rovo, translation #1217501 by shekitten
- Le pape François est le premier pape d'origine argentine.Pope Francis is the first pope of Argentinian origin.
- Sa Sainteté le pape François est largement respecté dans le monde entier.His Holiness Pope Francis is widely respected worldwide.
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Nathan are discussing a trip to Rome.
- ManonEst-ce qu'on peut voir le pape ?Can we see the pope?
- NathanJe ne sais pas s'il est là.I don't know if he is there.
- ManonCe serait génial de rencontrer le pape.It would be great to meet the pope.
- NathanIl y a beaucoup de monde aujourd'hui.There are a lot of people today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pope” translations and entries pape, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pape, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
