catholique romain
The English phrase "roman catholic" is translated into French as catholique romain.
catholique romain refers to a person who follows the Roman Catholic faith.
Meaning: person (noun)
Which one should you use?
While catholique romain is the full formal designation, in everyday French, people often simply use catholique to mean Roman Catholic.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to a group of Roman Catholics, add an 's' to both words to form catholiques romains.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget that in French, adjectives of religion are not capitalized unless they are used as a proper noun for a person (e.g., 'un catholique' vs 'un Français'), but the phrase catholique romain is typically written in lowercase when used as an adjective or common noun.
Did you know?
- Because of the strict separation of church and state in France called laïcité, mentioning that someone is a catholique romain in a professional setting is far less common than in English-speaking countries.
- The word catholique comes from the Ancient Greek katholikós, which originally meant 'universal' or 'general' rather than referring to a specific denomination.
- In French, the term clérical can describe a political attitude or influence linked to the Catholic clergy, a nuance not captured by the English word 'clerical'.
Examples in context
- Il était catholique romain.He was a Roman Catholic.This sentence is useful for showing how to use catholique romain to describe a person's past religious affiliation.Tatoeba #1806870 by sacredceltic, translation #802929 by Source_VOA
- Les Cathos vont à la messe tous les dimanches.Roman Catholics attend mass every Sunday.
- Elle est catholique romaine.She is Roman Catholic.
- Mon cousin est catholique romain.My cousin is Roman Catholic.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are discussing their family backgrounds.
- GabrielEs-tu catholique romain, Léa ?Are you a Roman Catholic, Léa?
- LéaNon, je ne suis pas croyante.No, I am not a believer.
- GabrielMoi, je suis catholique romain comme mon père.Me, I am a Roman Catholic like my father.
- LéaC'est intéressant, Gabriel.That's interesting, Gabriel.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries catholique, romain, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
