Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| vengeance | /vɑ̃.ʒɑ̃s/ | feminine |
| revanche | /ʁə.vɑ̃ʃ/ | feminine |
The term is used to describe retaliatory actions. You can use the verb se venger (de quelqu'un) to mean taking revenge on someone, or venger to mean taking revenge for or avenging a specific action or person. The phrase prendre sa revanche means to take one's revenge, and venger quelqu'un means to avenge someone.
Which one should you use?
vengeance refers to serious, often poetic or literary notions of retribution and violent or moralistic retaliation. In contrast, revanche is used in common or competitive contexts, such as a rematch in sports or a comeback in a game.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb venger is transitive and is used when avenging a specific person or a wrong. When using the reflexive verb se venger, you must use the preposition de when specifying the person or thing one is taking revenge upon.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /vɑ̃.ʒɑ̃s/ and has two syllables.
Did you know?
- The term revanche can be used in political contexts to describe a national desire to recover lost territory, such as the 'revanchism' felt by France after the 1871 loss of Alsace-Lorraine.
- In French literature, vengeance is often linked to the concept of 'la justice immanente', where the universe or fate provides the retribution instead of a person.
- While English speakers use 'revenge' for both heavy drama and minor disputes, using vengeance to describe a small grudge in French can make you sound like a character in a Shakespearean tragedy.
Examples in context
- Je crie vengeance !I want revenge.This sentence demonstrates how to express a desire for retribution using vengeance.Tatoeba #4585969 by sacredceltic, translation #1887882 by CK
- C'est une vengeance aveugle.It is indiscriminate revenge.This sentence uses vengeance to describe a type of indiscriminate revenge.Tatoeba #1533659 by sacredceltic, translation #1530084 by teapot
- Nous te donnerons ta revanche.We'll give you your revenge.This sentence shows how to use revanche in a competitive context.Tatoeba #1111523 by sacredceltic, translation #17460 by Zifre
- Je vais prendre ma revancheI will take my revenge
- Elle s'est vengée de luiShe avenged herself on him
- Il a cherché à se venger de son ennemi juréHe sought revenge on his arch-enemy
- 22 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Hugo are discussing a plot in a movie.
- EmmaLe personnage principal veut sa vengeance.The main character wants his revenge.
- HugoC'est triste, la vengeance ne mène à rien.It's sad, revenge leads to nothing.
- EmmaMais il a été trahi par son ami.But he was betrayed by his friend.
- HugoJe comprends, mais c'est un cycle dangereux.I understand, but it's a dangerous cycle.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “revenge” translations and entries vengeance, revanche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
