récepteur
The English word "receiver" translates to French as récepteur.
Récepteur is the standard term used for "receiver" in formal French, referring to a device that receives signals.
Meaning: person who receives (noun)
Which one should you use?
In formal situations to signify a receiver, récipiendaire can be used, though it is more common in the context of receiving honors or awards. In everyday conversations, French speakers often refer to a radio receiver simply as radio.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of the noun is réceptrice.
Did you know?
- In a legal context, a person who receives stolen goods is called a receleur, a term that shares a root with récepteur but carries a criminal connotation.
- The French word récepteur shares its ancient roots with the English word 'capture', as both stem from the Proto-Indo-European root *kap-, meaning to seize or take.
- While 'receiver' in English can describe a person in a sports game, French uses specific terms like receveur for baseball or simply describes the action, as récepteur is almost never used for athletes.
Examples in context
- La flatterie corrompt à la fois l'émetteur et le récepteur.Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver.This sentence illustrates the use of récepteur in the context of communication between a giver and a receiver.Tatoeba #1858097 by sacredceltic, translation #1856701 by Scott
- Le récepteur radioThe radio receiver
- la télécommande est à côté du posteThe remote control is next to the radio receiver
- Oui, je l'ai entendue hier sur mon poste de radioYes, I heard it yesterday on my radio receiver
- J'utilise un récepteur Bluetooth pour mon home cinéma.I use a Bluetooth receiver for my home theater system.
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are discussing a communication theory project.
- ChloéQui est le récepteur dans ton exemple, Nathan ?Who is the receiver in your example, Nathan?
- NathanC'est le client qui reçoit l'offre.It is the client who receives the offer.
- ChloéLe récepteur doit donc être attentif.The receiver must therefore be attentive.
- NathanOui, c'est essentiel pour que ça marche.Yes, it's essential for it to work.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry récepteur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries récepteur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
