mer
/mɛʁ/feminine
The French word for sea is mer.
mer refers to a body of water. You can use the phrase Le bord de mer to refer to the seaside or the coastline, Près de la mer to describe being close to the sea or Sur la côte to express being on the coast. To describe the sound of waves, you would use Le bruit des vagues.
Meaning: body of water (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
mer is a feminine noun. When using the definite article for the sea, use la mer. While the singular form is mer, the plural form is mers.
How do you pronounce it?
/mɛʁ/
Did you know?
- The expression C'est la mer à boire is used idiomatically to describe a task that is impossibly difficult or an overreaction to a small problem.
- The word mer is a homophone of mère, meaning 'mother', which is often used in French poetry to evoke the nurturing or overwhelming nature of the ocean.
- The feminine gender of mer in French is thought to have been influenced by the word terre, meaning 'land'.
Examples in context
- Ça sent la mer.It smells like the sea.This sentence shows how to say something smells like the mer.Tatoeba #5961086 by Blabla, translation #6134078 by Blabla
- La mer est basse.The sea is down.This sentence describes the state of the mer.Tatoeba #761148 by pandark, translation #22261 by Grst4Ntmlgystz485791
- La mer est calme.The sea is calm.This sentence describes the mer as being calm.Tatoeba #1911700 by sacredceltic, translation #1901580 by Spamster
- La mer est calme aujourd'hui.The sea is calm today.
- J'adore me promener au bord de la mer.I love walking by the sea.
- La beauté de la mer est indescriptible.The beauty of the sea is indescribable.
- On part à la plage pour voir l'océan.We're going to the beach to see the sea/ocean.
- Cet été, je vais passer mes vacances sur la Grande Bleue.This summer, I will spend my vacation on the sea/the Mediterranean.
- Nous avons passé nos vacances sur la côte.We spent our vacation by the sea/coast.
- Notre maison est près de la mer.Our house is close to the sea.
- Le bord de mer est un endroit très touristique.The seaside is a very touristy place.
- 304 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Nathan and Manon are walking along a coastal path.
- NathanRegarde comme la mer est belle, Manon.Look how beautiful the sea is, Manon.
- ManonOui, Nathan, elle est magnifique.Yes, Nathan, it is magnificent.
- NathanEst-ce que tu veux marcher vers la mer ?Do you want to walk towards the sea?
- ManonOui, j'aimerais beaucoup descendre là-bas.Yes, I would really like to go down there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea” translations and entries mer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
