respect
/ʁɛs.pɛ/masculine
The English phrase "respect" translates to the French noun respect.
respect is a masculine noun that refers to the admiration one feels for a person or entity due to their perceived merit. In French, to express respect for a specific person or thing, you often use the construction le respect de…
Meaning: admiration for a person or entity because of perceived merit (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cajun Louisiana, the terms Cher or Chère are used to address someone with affection or respect.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun respect is masculine, which means it is used with the masculine article le (e.g., le respect).
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁɛs.pɛ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers sometimes try to use the noun respect as a verb in French. Instead, use the verb respecter to say "to respect".
Did you know?
- The French word respect is a linguistic doublet of répit, meaning 'respite' or 'breather'. Both words evolved from the same Latin root but split into different meanings over centuries.
- In certain formal French contexts, the word respect is used in the closing of letters, such as Veuillez agréer l'expression de mes respects distingués, which is far more elaborate than the English 'Sincerely'.
- In French, the phrase avec tout le respect que je vous dois is often used as a polite preface before delivering a disagreement or a criticism.
Examples in context
- Tu as mon respect.You have my respect.This example shows how to express that someone has your respect.Tatoeba #8396004 by Aiji, translation #2547997 by CK
- Tu as notre respect.You have our respect.This example shows how to express that someone has our respect.Tatoeba #4962078 by franlexcois, translation #3821180 by CK
- Je le respecte encore.I still respect him.This example shows the use of the verb form to say "I still respect him".Tatoeba #8764651 by zarisi, translation #3910765 by CH
- 204 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Nathan are talking about a famous artist.
- ChloéSon travail mérite un grand respect.His work deserves great respect.
- NathanJe suis d'accord, il a mon respect.I agree, he has my respect.
- ChloéC'est un artiste très talentueux.He is a very talented artist.
- NathanOui, tout le monde admire son talent.Yes, everyone admires his talent.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “respect” translations and entries respect, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries respect, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
