saphir
/sa.fiʁ/masculine
The English phrase sapphire is translated into French as saphir.
saphir refers to the gem. It is also used as an adjective to describe the color sapphire.
Meaning: gem (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine, so it is used with the definite article le as in le saphir.
How do you pronounce it?
/sa.fiʁ/. The word has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, the word saphir is occasionally used as a metaphor for a person's eyes, especially in romantic poetry to describe a deep, clear blue.
- In older French texts and biblical translations, saphir was sometimes used to describe any blue precious stone, including lapis lazuli.
- The term saphir is used in French to describe a high-end grade of synthetic materials, such as verre saphir for scratch-resistant watch crystals.
Examples in context
- Je dois changer le saphir de mon phonographe.I have to change the sapphire of my phonograph.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use saphir in a sentence.Tatoeba #4926096 by sacredceltic, translation #6695374 by Eccles17
- Ce saphir est d'un bleu profond.This sapphire is a deep blue.
- Elle a acheté un saphir pour son anniversaire.She bought a sapphire for her birthday.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Chloé are looking at a piece of jewelry in a shop window.
- GabrielRegarde ce magnifique saphir, Chloé !Look at this magnificent sapphire, Chloé!
- ChloéIl est vraiment superbe, Gabriel.It is truly superb, Gabriel.
- GabrielEst-ce que tu aimes sa couleur ?Do you like its color?
- ChloéOui, le bleu est parfait.Yes, the blue is perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sapphire” translations and entries saphir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
