psychopathe
/psi.kɔ.pat/
The English phrase 'psycho' can be translated into French as psychopathe.
psychopathe is a noun used to describe a person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner.
Meaning: person acting in a bizarre or dangerous manner (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine, so you use the masculine article un when referring to a male psycho.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /psi.kɔ.pat/.
Did you know?
- While psychopathe is the technical term, French speakers often use the slang word perché to describe someone acting in a bizarre way. This literally means 'perched' and suggests the person is living in their own world high above reality.
- While English speakers might call someone a 'psycho' to describe an eccentric person, using psychopathe in French can carry a much heavier weight of actual criminal intent or mental illness.
- The suffix '-pathe' in psychopathe comes from the Greek 'pathos', meaning 'suffering' or 'feeling', which is the same root found in English words like 'empathy' or 'sympathy'.
Examples in context
- Tom est un psychopathe.Tom is a psycho.Tatoeba #2532209 by Jio15, translation #2272858 by CK
- Natalie est un peu psycho, elle aime prendre des risques.Natalie is a bit psycho, she likes taking risks.
- Ce type est un vrai psychopathe.This guy is a real psycho.
- On ne peut pas approcher ce psychopathe.We cannot approach that psycho.
Example conversation
Léa and Lucas are discussing a strange man they saw in the park.
- LéaTu as vu cet homme dans le parc ?Did you see that man in the park?
- LucasOui, c'est un psychopathe, il est effrayant.Yes, he is a psycho, he is scary.
- LéaIl agissait de manière très étrange.He was acting in a very strange way.
- LucasIl faut rester loin de lui.We must stay far away from him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry psychopathe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries psychopathe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
