populaire
/pɔ.py.lɛʁ/
The English word 'popular' is translated into French as populaire.
populaire is the most straightforward translation for 'popular' when describing someone or something that is liked by many people. However, note that in French, populaire can also mean 'of the people' or 'common/mass-market', such as in the phrase 'musique populaire'.
Meaning: liked by many people (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective populaire is invariable, meaning it is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɔ.py.lɛʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use populaire to mean 'populist' in a political sense. In French, the specific term for political populism is populiste.
Did you know?
- The word populaire is used in the phrase le Front Populaire, referring to a famous 1936 coalition of left-wing parties that established the first paid vacations for French workers.
- While populaire describes something liked by many, a person who is 'popular' in a social circle or at school is often described as apprécié or coté. Using populaire in a high school context can sometimes imply they are 'of the people' rather than socially elite.
- The adjective populaire is a 'learned borrowing' from Latin, which means it entered French through scholars and writers rather than evolving naturally from common speech.
Examples in context
- Tom est devenu populaire.Tom became popular.This sentence shows how to use populaire to describe someone becoming popular.Tatoeba #8703371 by Julien_PDC, translation #1095798 by CK
- Elle veut être populaire.She wants to be popular.This sentence illustrates the desire to be popular using populaire.Tatoeba #10766217 by lbdx, translation #2518556 by Hybrid
- C'est un artiste populaire.This is a popular artist.This sentence demonstrates how to describe an artist as populaire.Tatoeba #984541 by sacredceltic, translation #485143 by CM
- Le groupe de musique est très populaire en France.The music band is very popular in France.
- Le film a été très apprécié par le public.The movie was highly popular among the audience.
- Ce chanteur est vraiment célèbre chez les jeunes.This singer is really popular among the youth.
- Ces chaussures sont très à la mode en ce moment.These shoes are very popular right now.
- Cette boîte de nuit est réputée pour être très branchée.This nightclub is known to be very popular/cool.
- 174 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a new cafe in town.
- LucasEst-ce que ce café est populaire ?Is this cafe popular?
- ChloéOui, il est très populaire ici.Yes, it is very popular here.
- LucasChloé, tu veux y aller ?Chloé, do you want to go there?
- ChloéD'accord, Lucas, allons-y !Okay, Lucas, let's go!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “popular” translations and entries populaire, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries populaire, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
