fier
/fjɛʁ/
The English word 'proud' is translated into French as fier.
The adjective fier is used to express that one is gratified, feeling honoured or feeling satisfied. To say 'to be proud of' something or someone, you can use the verb être followed by the preposition de (e.g., être fier de).
Meaning: gratified, feeling honoured, feeling satisfied (adj)
Which one should you use?
While fier expresses being satisfied or honoured, the word orgueilleux is used to describe someone who is proud in a negative, arrogant or conceited sense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the adjective changes depending on the gender and number of the person being described: fière is the feminine singular, fiers is the masculine plural and fières is the feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
/fjɛʁ/
When do people say it?
In an informal context, you can use the idiomatic expression être fier comme un paon, which means 'to be proud as a peacock'.
Did you know?
- The adjective fier has two completely different ancestral paths in French. It can stem from the Latin ferus, meaning 'wild', or from the Latin fīdere, meaning 'to trust'.
- The word orgueil refers to a type of pride that is considered one of the seven deadly sins in French cultural and religious history.
- If a French speaker describes a building or a mountain as fier, they are describing it as 'stately' or 'lofty' rather than feeling an emotion.
Examples in context
- Sois fier de toi.Be proud of yourself.Tatoeba #1916426 by sacredceltic, translation #1915916 by Spamster
- Tu m'as rendu fier.You made me proud.Tatoeba #3470488 by Lulantis, translation #3330968 by CK
- Es-tu fier de moi ?Are you proud of me?Tatoeba #4115747 by sacredceltic, translation #3730511 by CM
- Je suis fier de toi.I am proud of you.
- Elle est fière de son succès.She is proud of her success.
- Nous sommes fiers de notre équipe.We are proud of our team.
- Ils sont fiers de leurs enfants.They are proud of their children.
- Il est fier de son travail.He is proud of his work.
- Elle est fière de sa famille.She is proud of her family.
- Nous sommes fiers de nos accomplissements.We are proud of our accomplishments.
- Vous êtes fiers de vos origines.You are proud of your origins.
- J'ai obtenu la promotion que j'attendais depuis longtemps, je suis fier comme un paon !I got the promotion I've been waiting for a long time, I'm proud as a peacock!
- 333 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas has just finished a difficult marathon.
- ChloéBravo Lucas, je suis vraiment fière de toi.Well done Lucas, I am really proud of you.
- LucasMerci Chloé, je suis très fier d'avoir fini.Thanks Chloé, I am very proud to have finished.
- ChloéTu as fait un parcours incroyable.You did an incredible run.
- LucasC'est vrai, c'était un grand défi.It's true, it was a great challenge.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “proud” translations and entries fier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries fier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
