deuxième
/dø.zjɛm/
The French word for 'second' is deuxième.
deuxième is used as an ordinal number to indicate that something comes after the first in a sequence. For example, it can refer to a second job, a second idea or a second marriage.
Meaning: one-sixtieth of a minute, SI unit of time (noun)
Which one should you use?
In everyday French, deuxième is the most common way to express the ordinal number 'second'. When you are specifically referring to the unit of time (a second), the feminine form seconde is used. In mathematical or numeric expressions, you may use either deuxième or seconde to translate 'second'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When pronouncing deuxième, note that the 'x' is not pronounced.
How do you pronounce it?
/dø.zjɛm/
Did you know?
- The word seconde is also used in French to describe the first year of lycée, which is the equivalent of the ninth grade in the US or year ten in the UK.
- The phrase au second degré is used in French to describe irony or sarcasm, literally meaning 'on the second level'.
- In certain historical or literary contexts, using second instead of deuxième can imply a sense of finality, as if nothing follows the second item.
Examples in context
- Il a un deuxième travail.He has a second job.This sentence shows how to use deuxième to talk about a second job.Tatoeba #3043398 by nimfeo, translation #1871854 by Spamster
- C'était ma deuxième idée.That was my second guess.This sentence shows how to use deuxième to talk about a second idea.Tatoeba #6914946 by Aiji, translation #3727573 by CM
- C'est mon deuxième mariage.This is my second marriage.This sentence shows how to use deuxième to talk about a second marriage.Tatoeba #10289069 by Rovo, translation #10287880 by CM
- Je suis le deuxième participant à la réunion.I am the second participant in the meeting.
- Tu veux être le deuxième à jouer ?Do you want to be the second one to play?
- 140 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Emma are racing to the finish line.
- LucasJ'ai gagné la course !I won the race!
- EmmaNon, je suis arrivée la deuxième.No, I arrived second.
- LucasTu étais très rapide, Emma.You were very fast, Emma.
- EmmaC'est vrai, mais je veux être première.That's true, but I want to be first.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry deuxième, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
