Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| retraité | /ʁə.tʁɛ.te/ /ʁə.tʁe.te/ |
| à la retraite | /a la ʁə.tʁɛt/ |
Both forms are used to describe someone who has left employment. retraité can function as an adjective or as a noun, while à la retraite is a prepositional phrase. If you want to express the action of retiring, the process of actually leaving a job, do not use a direct translation of the English verb. Instead, use the phrase prendre sa retraite.
Which one should you use?
The choice between the two forms depends on how you want to describe the person. retraité is an adjective used to describe a person directly, whereas à la retraite is a prepositional phrase used to describe a person's current state or status.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using retraité as an adjective, it must agree in gender and number with the subject. Use retraité for a man and retraitée for a woman. For plural forms, use retraités for a group of men or a mixed group and retraitées for a group of women only.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ʁə.tʁɛ.te/ and has 3 syllables.
Did you know?
- The phrase prendre sa retraite literally translates to 'taking one's retreat', echoing the historical practice of religious figures withdrawing from society.
- The word retraité shares an ancestor with the English word 'tract', both tracing back to the Latin 'trahere', meaning 'to pull' or 'to draw'.
- French law allows for la retraite progressive, a specific system where a worker reduces their hours gradually instead of stopping all at once.
Examples in context
- Tom est à la retraite.Tom is retired.This sentence shows how to use the phrase à la retraite with a third-person subject.Tatoeba #7059399 by felix63, translation #3446977 by CK
- Je suis à la retraite.I'm retired.This sentence shows how to use the phrase à la retraite with a first-person subject.Tatoeba #10708316 by AutoBot, translation #510573 by CK
- Nous sommes tous retraités.We're all retired.This sentence shows how to use the adjective retraité in its plural form.Tatoeba #5423894 by sacredceltic, translation #5422766 by CK
- Mon père est à la retraite depuis deux ans.My father has been retired for two years.
- Mon voisin est en fin de carrière et pourra bientôt prendre sa retraite.My neighbor is at the end of his career and will soon be able to retire.
- Mon grand-père a pris sa retraite il y a cinq ans.My grandfather took his retirement five years ago.
- 31 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are talking about their neighbors in a cafe.
- LéaTu connais le nouveau voisin ?Do you know the new neighbor?
- GabrielOui, c'est un homme retraité.Yes, he is a retired man.
- LéaIl semble très calme.He seems very calm.
- GabrielIl profite de sa vie de retraité.He is enjoying his retired life.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “retired” translations and entries retraité, à la retraite, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
