rang
/ʁɑ̃/
The French word for rank is rang.
Meaning: to assign a suitable place in a class or order (verb)
Which one should you use?
While rang refers to a rank or grade in a hierarchy, if you are referring to a physical row of objects, such as a row of chairs or a row in chess, you should use rangée.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁɑ̃/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to use the English spelling 'rank' instead of the French rang when referring to a position or grade.
Did you know?
- The French word rang is a distant relative of the English word 'ring'. Both originate from a Germanic root meaning 'circle' or 'round'.
- In French, the expression mettre en rang is used not only for military formations but also to describe organizing children in a school setting.
- The phrase en rangs serrés means 'in close ranks' and is often used metaphorically to describe a group of people showing absolute solidarity.
Examples in context
- Il tient le rang de colonel.He holds the rank of colonel.This sentence shows how to use rang to describe a person holding a specific military grade.Tatoeba #133510 by Micsmithel, translation #304637 by CK
- Il a été promu au rang de sergent.He rose to the rank of sergeant.This sentence demonstrates the use of rang when someone is promoted to a specific grade.Tatoeba #132584 by Aiji, translation #299415 by sundown
- Il avait été promu au rang de général.He was advanced to the rank of general.This sentence shows how rang is used when someone has been advanced to a specific grade.Tatoeba #4470547 by Petrus, translation #288196 by CM
- Il occupe un haut rang dans l'armée.He holds a high rank in the army.
- La France est classée première dans le classement mondial du vin.France ranks first in the global wine rankings.
- Il a atteint un haut niveau dans sa carrière.He has reached a high rank in his career.
- Le statut social d'une personne peut influencer son niveau de satisfaction.A person's social rank can influence their level of satisfaction.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Manon are discussing their results for a competition.
- HugoÀ quel rang t'es-tu classée ?What rank did you get?
- ManonJe suis au deuxième rang, Hugo !I am in second place, Hugo!
- HugoC'est super, bravo Manon.That's great, well done Manon.
- ManonEt toi, quel est ton rang ?And you, what is your rank?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry rang, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries rang, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
