responsable
/ʁɛs.pɔ̃.sabl/
The English word "responsible" is translated into French as responsable.
The adjective responsable describes someone who is answerable for an act performed or for its consequences. When you want to say someone is responsible for something, you must use the preposition de after the adjective, forming the phrase responsable de.
Meaning: answerable for an act performed or for its consequences (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
While the adjective does not change based on gender, it is not invariable in number. You must add an -s to form the plural responsables.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has 3 syllables and is pronounced /ʁɛs.pɔ̃.sabl/.
Did you know?
- In French, a person who is 'responsible' for a company or a project is often called a responsable, which functions as a noun meaning 'manager' or 'head'.
- Unlike English, where 'responsible' can mean 'the cause of' (as in 'the rain was responsible for the flood'), French usually prefers est la cause de or est à l'origine de.
- While English speakers use 'responsible' for both people and things, in French, you would often use coupable if the responsibility implies a fault or a crime.
Examples in context
- Je me sens responsable.I feel responsible.This sentence is useful for expressing personal feelings of responsibility using responsable.Tatoeba #4679165 by sacredceltic, translation #2245749 by CK
- Qui était responsable ?Who was responsible?This sentence is useful for asking who was responsible using responsable.Tatoeba #6318262 by Aiji, translation #3410781 by CK
- Qui en est responsable ?Who's responsible for this?This sentence is useful for asking who is responsible for a specific matter using responsable.Tatoeba #11601721 by Aiji, translation #3378944 by CK
- Je suis responsable de la gestion de projet.I am responsible for project management.
- Paul est un employé sérieux et responsable.Paul is a serious and responsible employee.
- Nous devrions tous être responsables de nos actes.We should all be responsible for our actions.
- 162 more sentences on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “responsible” translations and entries responsable, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
