premier
/pʁə.mje/masculine
The English word premier is translated into French as premier. If unsure, use premier. Wiktionary also lists première.
Meaning: foremost, very first or very highest in quality or degree (adj)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| premier | /pʁə.mje/ /pʁə.mje.ʁ‿/ |
masculine |
| première | /pʁə.mjɛʁ/ | feminine |
As an adjective, premier means foremost, very first or very highest in quality or degree. It can also be part of the noun phrase premier ministre, which refers to the head of a state or provincial government in countries like Australia and Canada.
Which one should you use?
The form premier is the masculine version, while première is the feminine version. When referring to a film or theatrical premiere, the feminine form la première is used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the context of government, the term premier ministre is used to describe the head of a state or provincial government in Australia and Canada.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form is premier. The feminine form is première.
How do you pronounce it?
/pʁə.mje/
Did you know?
- The phrase au premier is commonly used in French cities to mean 'on the first floor', but this refers to the floor above the ground level.
- The expression premier degré is used to describe someone who takes a joke literally, often described as au premier degré.
- In French dance, the term première danseuse identifies the highest-ranking female dancer in a company, regardless of her age or tenure.
Examples in context
- La vedette apparut à la première, flanquée de deux grands gardes du corps.The starlet showed up at the premier flanked by two big bodyguards.This sentence shows how to use the feminine form première when referring to a film or theatrical premiere.Tatoeba #808953 by sacredceltic, translation #678337 by darinmex
- Le premier ministre et ses collègues ont démissionné.The premier and his cabinet colleagues resigned.This sentence uses the masculine form premier in the context of a government official.Tatoeba #1683321 by gall, translation #266136 by sundown
- Le journal d'aujourd'hui rapporte que le premier ministre a abandonné l'idée de visiter les États-Unis.Today's paper reports that the premier has given up the idea of visiting America.This sentence also uses the masculine form premier to refer to a government official.Tatoeba #713143 by Cirilo, translation #242588 by Zifre
- Le premier ministre du paysThe Prime Minister of the country
- En premier lieu, je voudrais te parler de nos projets futursFirst of all, I would like to talk to you about our future projects
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are discussing a luxury hotel.
- NathanC'est le premier hôtel de la ville.It is the foremost hotel in town.
- ManonEst-ce qu'il est vraiment luxueux ?Is it really luxurious?
- NathanOui, c'est un établissement de premier choix.Yes, it is a top-quality establishment.
- ManonJe veux réserver une chambre alors.I want to book a room then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “premier” translations and entries premier, première, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
