révolution
/ʁe.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃/feminine
The English word "revolution" is translated into French as révolution.
The term refers to a political upheaval. To describe something or someone related to a revolution, you use the adjective révolutionnaire.
Meaning: political upheaval (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun révolution is feminine, meaning it is preceded by feminine articles such as une or la.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʁe.vɔ.ly.sjɔ̃/. The word has 4 syllables.
Did you know?
- While English speakers associate the term with 1789, the French language has a specific phrase la Grande Révolution to distinguish it from the later July Revolution of 1830.
- The word révolution shares the same Latin root as the English word 'revolve', meaning both words originally described the physical act of turning or circling around a point.
- In French, if you want to describe a 'revolutionary' person in a way that is not political, you might use the term révolutionnaire to describe a person who completely changes a field like science or art.
Examples in context
- Une révolution a éclaté au Mexique.A revolution broke out in Mexico.This sentence shows how to use révolution to describe an event breaking out in a location.Tatoeba #13536 by Julien_PDC, translation #31829 by CN
- La Révolution française eut lieu en 1789.The French Revolution took place in 1789.This sentence uses révolution to refer to a specific historical event.Tatoeba #4531943 by Whidou, translation #5006828 by AlanF_US
- La révolution dévore ses propres enfants.The revolution devours its own children.This sentence demonstrates the use of révolution in a metaphorical context.Tatoeba #13567260 by sacredceltic, translation #13567262 by frpzzd
- Les dernières élections ont provoqué un chamboulement politique.The recent elections caused a political shake-up.
- Ce qui a suivi a été un bouleversement complet de la société.What followed was a complete societal upheaval.
- 46 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are discussing a history book in a cafe.
- HugoEmma, tu lis quoi ?Emma, what are you reading?
- EmmaUn livre sur une révolution sanglante.A book about a bloody revolution.
- HugoEst-ce que c'est passionnant ?Is it exciting?
- EmmaOui, Hugo, c'est très captivant.Yes, Hugo, it is very captivating.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “revolution” translations and entries révolution, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries révolution, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
