royauté
The English phrase "royalty" is translated into French as royauté.
royauté is used to refer to the institution or the status of being royal. If you wish to refer specifically to the group of people known as the royal family, the term famille royale is more common.
Meaning: monarch and their families treated as a group (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from roi (king) and the suffix -té, which corresponds to the English -ty used in forming abstract nouns.
Which one should you use?
There is a distinction between the state of being royal and the people themselves: la royauté refers to the institution or the status, whereas la famille royale is used when speaking about the specific group of people (the royal family).
How does it change in a sentence?
royauté is a feminine noun and is typically used with the definite article la, appearing as la royauté.
Did you know?
- While English uses 'royalty' for both monarchs and payment for creative work, French uses redevances for the latter, which has no linguistic connection to royauté.
- The institution of royauté in France was traditionally validated by the sacre, a ritual anointing with oil that was considered more spiritually significant than the crown itself.
- Because royauté is a feminine noun, any adjective used to describe the monarchy must be feminine even if the monarch is a man.
Examples in context
- Bien que la fourchette ait été déjà introduite sur les tables des personnes bien nanties, plusieurs membres de la royauté, comme Élizabeth Première d'Angleterre ou Louis XIV de France, mangeaient avec leurs doigts.Although the fork entered society on the tables of rich people, many members of royalty, such as Elizabeth I of England and Louis XIV of France, ate with their fingers.This sentence illustrates that historical members of the royauté sometimes used their fingers to eat.Tatoeba #390267 by Scott, translation #34385 by Swift
- Sa Majesté le RoiHis Majesty the King
- La royauté britanniqueThe British royalty
- Les membres de la famille royaleThe members of the royal family
- Votre Majesté, puis-je me permettre de vous poser une question?Your Majesty, may I ask a question?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are visiting a museum of historical crowns.
- GabrielRegarde ces couronnes magnifiques !Look at these magnificent crowns!
- LéaC'est incroyable de voir les bijoux de la royauté.It's incredible to see the jewelry of royalty.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu aimerais vivre ainsi ?Would you like to live like that?
- LéaNon, je préfère ma vie simple, Gabriel.No, I prefer my simple life, Gabriel.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
