section
/sɛk.sjɔ̃/
The English word "section" is translated into French as section.
Depending on the context, you might use other terms: in legal or formal documents, you might use Partie to refer to a section and in military or administrative contexts, Division is often used to denote a section.
Which one should you use?
While section can refer to a part of a text, if you are specifically talking about a chapter in a book, it is more common to use le chapitre.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun section is feminine, so it is preceded by the feminine article la (la section).
How do you pronounce it?
/sɛk.sjɔ̃/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- If you are talking about a section of a choir in French, you would use the term pupitre rather than section to refer to the group of singers.
- While 'section' is used in English for many things, in a French secondary school, a section can refer to a specific track or specialization of study a student chooses.
- The word section is a learned borrowing from the Latin sectiō, which literally means 'a cutting'.
Examples in context
- Où est la section des hommes ?Where's the men's section?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of a specific section.Tatoeba #3627428 by fleur74, translation #687684 by lukaszpp
- Pourriez-vous expliquer la dernière section plus précisément ?Could you explain the last section more precisely?This sentence is useful for asking for more precision regarding a section.Tatoeba #8008331 by Aiji, translation #4891627 by AlanF_US
- Consultez la section ci-dessous pour déterminer votre éligibilité.See the section below to determine your eligibility.This sentence is useful for directing someone to look at a section located below.Tatoeba #8755956 by Aiji, translation #8657132 by AlanF_US
- La section des affaires juridiquesThe Legal Section
- La partie 3 du contratSection 3 of the contract
- La division des financesThe Finance Section
- La partie intéressante du livreThe interesting section of the book
- Le tronçon entre Paris et LyonThe section between Paris and Lyon
- Je dois lire la section suivanteI need to read the next section
- 10 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are browsing a bookstore together.
- LéaJe cherche la section des romans policiers.I am looking for the detective novel section.
- NathanC'est juste là, au bout du couloir.It's right there, at the end of the hallway.
- LéaMerci Nathan, je vais regarder dans cette section.Thanks Nathan, I'll look in that section.
- NathanJe t'accompagne pour t'aider à choisir.I'll go with you to help you choose.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry section, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries section, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
