Père Noël
/pɛʁ nɔ.ɛl/masculine
In French, Santa Claus is Père Noël. Wiktionary also lists Papa Noël and Saint Nicolas.
Meaning: fictional figure (name)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Père Noël | /pɛʁ nɔ.ɛl/ | masculine |
| Papa Noël | masculine | |
| Saint Nicolas | masculine |
What does it mean word for word?
Père Noël literally translates to 'Father Christmas'.
Which one should you use?
While Père Noël refers to the modern secular figure of Santa Claus, Saint Nicolas refers to a distinct historical and religious figure celebrated on December 6th.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Papa Noël is an affectionate, informal or even childish way to refer to Santa Claus.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly in Eastern France and Belgium, Saint Nicolas is used as an alternative to Père Noël.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb to express belief in him, such as in the phrase 'to believe in Santa Claus', the preposition en is replaced by the contraction au (à + le) to form croire au Père Noël.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɛʁ nɔ.ɛl/
Did you know?
- In some French-speaking regions, Saint Nicolas is accompanied by le Père Fouettard, a dark figure who punishes naughty children with bundles of twigs.
- The word Noël is a linguistic relative of the English word 'natal', as both originate from the Latin nātālis, meaning 'birthday'.
- In France, the figure of Père Noël is often associated with the marché de Noël, outdoor Christmas markets that are a central part of the winter social experience.
Examples in context
- Il croit au Père Noël.He believes in Santa Claus.This sentence is useful for showing how to express belief in Père Noël using the contraction au.Tatoeba #130913 by dominiko, translation #290054 by CK
- Je crois au Père Noël.I believe in Santa Claus.Tatoeba #8823975 by Aiji, translation #5817290 by mailohilohi
- Le père Noël est mort.Santa Claus is dead.This sentence is useful for practicing the subject and verb with Père Noël.Tatoeba #10661988 by AutoBot, translation #10661990 by AutoBot
- Les enfants attendent avec impatience la venue du Père Noël ce soir.The children are eagerly awaiting Santa Claus tonight.
- En Lorraine, la tradition de Saint Nicolas est toujours bien ancrée, mais le Père Noël est également présent.In Lorraine, the tradition of Saint Nicholas is still deeply rooted, but Santa Claus is also present.
- 58 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are preparing for Christmas Eve.
- NathanEst-ce que le Père Noël arrive ce soir ?Is Santa Claus coming tonight?
- LéaOui, Nathan, il arrive à minuit.Yes, Nathan, he arrives at midnight.
- NathanJe veux laisser des biscuits pour le Père Noël.I want to leave some cookies for Santa Claus.
- LéaC'est une très bonne idée, Léa approuve !That is a very good idea, Léa agrees!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “santa claus” translations and entries Père Noël, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Noël, noël, papa, père, saint, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
