sarcastique
/saʁ.kas.tik/
The French word for sarcastic is sarcastique.
sarcastique is an adjective used to describe something that contains sarcasm. In informal spoken French, sarcasm can also be expressed through specific phrases and tone. For example, saying Ah ouais, carrément! can mean "Oh yeah, totally!" and Tu crois vraiment? can mean "Do you really think so?" You can also use Évidemment! (Obviously!) or Ça alors! (Well, well!) to convey sarcasm.
Meaning: Containing sarcasm (adj)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the phrase ben voyons donc! is used sarcastically to mean "oh, come on!" In France, the word vraiment can be emphasized to convey a sarcastic tone.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective sarcastique is invariable in gender, so the form remains the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. To make the word plural, add an s to get sarcastiques.
How do you pronounce it?
/saʁ.kas.tik/
Did you know?
- The word sarcastique traces back to the Greek word for 'tearing flesh', suggesting that sarcasm is a verbal way of 'ripping' or 'biting' at someone.
- French culture has a deep tradition of l'esprit, a sharp wit that often blends sarcastique humor with intellectual elegance.
- A common way to respond to a sarcastique comment in French is with a shrug and the phrase C'est ça, oui, meaning 'Sure, whatever'.
Examples in context
- Ça peut sembler sarcastique.That might come off as sarcastic.This sentence shows how something might appear to be sarcastique.Tatoeba #10768160 by sacredceltic, translation #10768153 by end
- Ma remarque était sarcastique.My comment was sarcastic.This sentence uses sarcastique to describe a comment.Tatoeba #10713337 by lbdx, translation #5744757 by CM
- Tu n'es pas obligé d'être sarcastique.You don't have to be so sarcastic.This sentence uses sarcastique to describe a person's behavior.Tatoeba #3544997 by sacredceltic, translation #3539317 by Hybrid
- 13 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Hugo are discussing a text message.
- LéaEst-ce que ce message est sarcastique ?Is this message sarcastic?
- HugoOui, Hugo pense que c'est une blague.Yes, Hugo thinks it's a joke.
- LéaJe trouve son ton vraiment sarcastique.I find his tone really sarcastic.
- HugoC'est justement sa façon de parler.That is just the way he speaks.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sarcastic” translations and entries sarcastique, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sarcastique, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
