semestre
/sə.mɛstʁ/masculine
The English phrase "semester" is translated into French as semestre. If unsure, use semestre. Wiktionary also lists trimestre.
Meaning: half of school year (noun)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| semestre | /sə.mɛstʁ/ | masculine |
| trimestre | /tʁi.mɛstʁ/ | masculine |
The word refers to half of a school year, specifically a six-month period.
Which one should you use?
While semestre refers to a six-month period, trimestre refers to a three-month period or a term.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of semestre is semestres.
How do you pronounce it?
/sə.mɛstʁ/ (2 syllables)
Did you know?
- In French schools, the academic year is traditionally split into three trimestres rather than two semestres. This means a student's year is divided into thirds, which can confuse English speakers used to a binary system.
- French universities use unités d'enseignement, or teaching units, which are validated at the end of a semestre rather than by individual classes.
- In French, semestre can be used as a technical term in finance to describe a 'half-year' reporting period for profits and losses.
Examples in context
- Ce semestre est important.This semester is important.This sentence is useful for describing the importance of a semestre.Tatoeba #9726944 by felix63, translation #9728811 by mialiesperantistas
- Elle travaille dur, ce semestre.She is working hard this semester.This sentence is useful for describing someone's work efforts during a semestre.Tatoeba #4775370 by sacredceltic, translation #313699 by CK
- Le cours d'allemand dure un semestre.The German course lasts one semester.This sentence is useful for stating the duration of a course in terms of a semestre.Tatoeba #12233536 by lbdx, translation #842908 by J_S
- J'ai beaucoup de projets ce semestreI have a lot of projects this semester
- Je t'ai aidé lors du dernier trimestreI helped you during the last semester
- Je suis impatient d'aller en vacances, le semestre universitaire a été intense !I can't wait for the holidays, the academic semester has been intense!
- J'ai hâte de commencer le prochain semestre universitaire et de découvrir de nouveaux coursI'm looking forward to starting the next academic semester and discovering new courses
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two students are discussing their classes in the hallway.
- ManonQuels cours as-tu choisis pour ce semestre ?Which classes did you choose for this semester?
- GabrielJ'ai pris l'histoire et le dessin, Manon.I took history and art, Manon.
- ManonC'est génial, le premier semestre est toujours stimulant.That's great, the first semester is always stimulating.
- GabrielOui, Gabriel espère que ce sera facile.Yes, Gabriel hopes it will be easy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “semester” translations and entries semestre, trimestre, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
