science-fiction
/sjɑ̃s.fik.sjɔ̃/
The English phrase science fiction is translated into French as science-fiction.
This term refers to the fiction genre of science fiction. When you want to specify a certain type of work, such as a science fiction novel, you link the genre to the noun using the preposition de, as in un roman de science-fiction.
Meaning: fiction genre (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The standard term is la science-fiction. In casual conversation or among enthusiasts, you may hear the informal abbreviation la SF. In France, the colloquial form la S-F is also used.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In France, la S-F is a colloquial way to refer to the genre.
How does it change in a sentence?
The term la science-fiction is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/sjɑ̃s.fik.sjɔ̃/
Did you know?
- In French literary circles, you might see the genre referred to as l'anticipation, a term that focuses on the predictive or speculative nature of the stories rather than the 'science' aspect.
- French literary history claims a unique ancestor in the voyages extraordinaires of Jules Verne, who blended scientific speculation with adventure before the term science-fiction became standardized.
- In French, the term l'imaginaire is used as a formal category to group science-fiction with fantasy and horror, effectively treating the whole genre as 'the imaginary'.
Examples in context
- Tom aime la science-fiction.Tom likes science fiction.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for the genre using science-fiction.Tatoeba #6468703 by Aiji, translation #3478121 by CK
- Il lit beaucoup de science-fiction.He reads a lot of science-fiction.This sentence is useful for describing reading habits involving science-fiction.Tatoeba #2963388 by Blabla, translation #6831596 by Eccles17
- J'aime les romans de science-fiction.I like science fiction novels.This sentence is useful for showing how to use the preposition de with science-fiction.Tatoeba #7982970 by Aiji, translation #7062055 by purichan
- J'adore la science-fiction !I love science fiction!
- Quel est ton film de SF préféré ?What's your favorite sci-fi movie?
- La SF française est très créative et imaginative.French science fiction is very creative and imaginative.
- 17 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are at a bookstore.
- HugoEst-ce que tu aimes la science-fiction ?Do you like science fiction?
- EmmaOui, j'adore ce genre de livres.Yes, I love this genre of books.
- HugoQuel est ton film de science-fiction préféré ?What is your favorite science fiction movie?
- EmmaJe préfère les films plus classiques.I prefer more classic movies.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “science fiction” translations and entries science-fiction, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
