premier ministre
/pʁə.mje mi.nistʁ/masculine
The English phrase 'prime minister' is translated into French as premier ministre. Wiktionary also lists chef du gouvernement.
Meaning: chief member of the cabinet and head of the government (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| premier ministre | /pʁə.mje mi.nistʁ/ | masculine |
| chef du gouvernement | feminine, masculine |
This term refers to the chief member of the cabinet and the head of the government.
What does it mean word for word?
The word premier literally means 'first'.
Which one should you use?
premier ministre is the specific official title, while chef du gouvernement is a more descriptive title meaning 'head of government'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Canadian province of Québec, premier ministre is used to refer to the head of the provincial government. In Switzerland, the term conseiller(ère) fédéral(e) is used instead of Premier Ministre to refer to a member of the Federal Council acting as the head of government.
How does it change in a sentence?
While premier ministre is masculine, the phrase can be feminized by changing the adjective to première ministre.
Did you know?
- While premier ministre is the title, French political discourse often uses the shorthand Matignon to refer to the office, because the Prime Minister's official residence is the Hôtel de Matignon.
- The word ministre has a much more humble origin than it does today, coming from the Latin 'minister' which means 'servant'.
- In France, the premier ministre is appointed by the President, but unlike in many English-speaking parliamentary systems, the President can effectively dismiss them.
Examples in context
- Le premier ministre a démissionné.The Prime Minister has resigned.This sentence is useful for seeing the phrase premier ministre used in the context of a resignation.Tatoeba #644182 by qdii, translation #274268 by CK
- Le Premier ministre doit démissionner.The Prime Minister must step down.This sentence shows the necessity of the Prime Minister stepping down using premier ministre.Tatoeba #11411215 by lbdx, translation #3689983 by karloelkebekio
- Le premier ministre rencontra la presse.The Prime Minister met with the press.This sentence illustrates the Prime Minister meeting with the press using premier ministre.Tatoeba #808769 by sacredceltic, translation #266168 by CK
- Le PM a pris une décision surprenante.The PM made a surprising decision.
- 40 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are watching a news report at home.
- LucasLe premier ministre parle à la télévision.The prime minister is speaking on television.
- ManonIl a l'air très sérieux, ce monsieur.That gentleman looks very serious.
- LucasOui, il annonce des mesures importantes.Yes, he is announcing important measures.
- ManonJ'espère que cela nous aidera.I hope this helps us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prime minister” translations and entries premier ministre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chef, du, gouvernement, ministre, premier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
