sacré
/sa.kʁe/
The French word for sacred is sacré.
The adjective is used to describe something that is consecrated, dedicated or devoted.
Meaning: consecrated, dedicated, devoted (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. Use the feminine form sacrée for feminine nouns, the masculine plural form sacrés for masculine plural nouns and the feminine plural form sacrées for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.kʁe/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may mistakenly assume sacré is only used for religious contexts. However, in colloquial French, it is frequently used to emphasize the scale or intensity of something, such as in the phrase un sacré travail to mean a hell of a job.
Did you know?
- The phrase sacré bleu is a euphemism that removes the word 'Dieu' (God) to avoid blasphemy while still expressing shock.
- In some regions, sacré can be used as a mild swear word or an interjection to express frustration.
- French has a distinct difference between sacré, which is consecrated, and saint, which describes a person recognized as holy.
Examples in context
- C'est un sacré numéro.It's a sacred number.This sentence is useful for seeing how sacré is used with the word 'numéro'.Tatoeba #6850060 by Blabla, translation #6900917 by kaiperkins271
- La vie humaine est sacrée.Human life is sacred.This sentence is useful for seeing how sacré is used with the word 'vie'.Tatoeba #3392287 by sacredceltic, translation #3391915 by Hybrid
- Cette terre est sacrée pour mon peuple.This land is sacred to my people.This sentence is useful for seeing how sacré is used with the word 'terre'.Tatoeba #2929168 by Blabla, translation #5470965 by Catriona
- Cet endroit est sacréThis place is sacred.
- La cathédrale est un lieu sacré pour les croyants.The cathedral is a sacred place for believers.
- Ta parole est précieuse pour moi, elle est sacrée.Your word is precious to me, it is sacred.
- 23 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are visiting an old cathedral.
- LucasC'est un lieu sacré, n'est-ce pas ?This is a sacred place, isn't it?
- ManonOui, on doit rester très calme ici.Yes, we must stay very quiet here.
- LucasRegarde cet autel sacré.Look at this sacred altar.
- ManonIl est vraiment magnifique, Lucas.It is truly magnificent, Lucas.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sacré, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
