Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fierté | /fjɛʁ.te/ | |
| orgueil | /ɔʁ.ɡœj/ | masculine |
Depending on the context, the word for pride can range from a sense of satisfaction to extreme arrogance. To express the feeling of being proud of someone or something, French speakers typically use the adjective phrase être fier de rather than a noun.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on whether the pride is seen as a positive or negative quality. fierté is used for positive pride, such as being proud of an achievement or a person. In contrast, orgueil is used for negative, excessive pride or arrogance. Vanité is used when discussing pride in the sense of excessive self-importance or vanity.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, Canada, the phrase Être fier en masse means 'to be extremely proud.' In southwestern France, the expression Être fier comme Artaban refers to being 'as proud as Artaban.'
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective fier must agree in gender with the subject: fier for masculine and fière for feminine. The verb s'enorgueillir (de) is used to take or experience pride in something.
How do you pronounce it?
/fjɛʁ.te/
Did you know?
- The word orgueil shares a common ancestor with the Old English word orgel, meaning 'pride'.
- While fierté describes positive pride, orgueil often carries a moral or religious weight. In historical contexts, orgueil was frequently linked to the sin of pride in Catholic theology.
- If you want to praise someone's achievement, you should use fierté, but if you use orgueil, you are actually insulting their character.
Examples in context
- Il ravala sa fierté.He swallowed his pride.This sentence shows how to use the word fierté when talking about swallowing one's pride.Tatoeba #1925157 by sacredceltic, translation #1911875 by Spamster
- Il a trop de fierté.He has too much pride.This sentence uses fierté to describe having too much pride.Tatoeba #4714465 by sacredceltic, translation #2258385 by _undertoad
- J'ai perdu ma fierté.I've lost my pride.This sentence uses fierté to describe losing one's pride.Tatoeba #6138043 by christian63, translation #9011754 by jaydenms
- Je ressens une grande fiertéI feel a great sense of pride
- Fiers en masse de notre patrimoine culturel québécois!Extremely proud of our Quebecois cultural heritage!
- La fierté que j'éprouve envers mon équipe est indescriptible.The pride I feel towards my team is indescribable.
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are discussing a friend's arrogant behavior.
- LucasIl ne veut jamais s'excuser par fierté.He never wants to apologize out of pride.
- EmmaC'est vrai, sa fierté est devenue un problème.It's true, his pride has become a problem.
- LucasIl pense être supérieur à tout le monde.He thinks he is superior to everyone.
- EmmaIl doit apprendre à être plus humble.He needs to learn to be more humble.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pride” translations and entries fierté, orgueil, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fierté, orgueil, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
